Saudi-led coalition latest bombing again targets residential areas

ByNews Desk- The Cradle

The coalition frequently targets civilian areas under the pretext of targeting weapon storage areas

Smoke rises after Saudi coalition air strikes on Yemen's capital Sanaa on May 12, 2021. (REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah)

The Saudi-led coalition of aggression carried out a new wave of air strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa in the early hours of 24 December. The attacks targeted several civilian buildings in the city.

Al-Masirah television reported that one civilian was injured when one of the Saudi bombs hit a residential building in the ​​Al-Zubayri residential area.

The coalition, which in the past few months has intensified its bombing campaign, claims that it only targets military facilities.

However, local media outlets have reported that the majority of Saudi air strikes have targeted areas occupied by civilians.

The air strikes on 23 December came a few hours after the coalition had threatened to bomb the Al Thawra Sports Complex, which is the home ground for the Yemeni national football team.

The Saudi-led coalition claimed that the Ansarallah resistance movement is using the stadium to store weapons. Ansarallah has strongly denied the claims and stated that it is willing to allow the United Nations to inspect the stadium.

In a message posted on his Twitter account, the former head of the Ansarallah Supreme Revolutionary committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said: “If an international committee finds any drones or missiles at Al-Thawra we will directly hand them to the United Nations, but if nothing is found, the coalition should permanently halt their attacks.”

The Saudi-led coalition has failed to prove any of its allegations so far.

The coalition frequently alleges that the Ansarallah movement stores weapon in civilian areas, using these claims to justify the bombing of residential areas and civilian buildings, such as schools and hospitals.

On 21 December, coalition war planes targeted Sanaa international airport. The attack on the airport forced the UN and other humanitarian organizations to halt the delivery of aid to Yemen. The move is expected to worsen the dire humanitarian situation in the country.

The nearly seven-year long invasion of Yemen by the coalition has killed more than 230,000 people and displaced more than 1.3 million, leading to what the UN has described as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

In addition to the daily air strikes on Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition has also imposed an economic blockade on the country, impeding the entry of essential goods such as medicine, food, and fuel.