Blind Air Strikes

Incidents of Arbitrary Detention and Forcibly Disappearance under Ansar Allah (Al-Houthis) Armed Group Authority in Yemen

Tuesday (15 Dec 2015) – Sana’a

Executive Summary

On the early hours of March 26, 2015, the Saudi Arabia -led Arab coalition launched aerial attacks on military installation in the capital city of Sana’a. The air strikes took place following the announcement issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia marking the beginning of a Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition of nine Arab states’ military campaign targeting forces of both former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and Houthi armed group – Ansar Allah – which took over power in Yemen by force on September 21, 2014.This military intervention as cited above started only two days following a request by the Yemeni Interim President Abdraboo Mansoor Hadi. The request was forwarded to the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and was justified on grounds of restoration of the powers and legitimacy of the Interim President in the face of the rapid advancement of Houthi forces towards the city of Aden. This came on the heel of the timely fleeing of President Hadi and his subsequent settlement in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.Since March 26, 2015, the Saudi Arabia-led jet fighters launched thousands of air strikes targeting military installations and units loyal to former President Saleh and the Houthis though many of these aerial attacks struck and caused substantial damage to civil targets and resulted in unabated blood-shedding among civilians including women and children. Most of these casualties were concentrated in nine governorates details of which will be featured in due course within the framework of this Executive Summary.Despite the statements issued by the Spokesman of the Arab Allied Forces –Brigadier General Ahmed Aseeri- that all precautionary measures were taken to avoid civilian casualties and to ensure the safety and security of all Yemenis, a sizable number of the coalition’ aerial attacks did target civilian areas and resulted in killing and injury of civilian, damage of homes, civil institutions and infrastructures. These violations may tantamount to war crimes in accordance with the International Humanitarian Law.This report focuses in particular on 44 incidents of aerial attacks conducted by the Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition which targeted civilians in nine Yemeni governorates including Sana’a, Ta’iz, Lahj, Ibb, Hodaidah, S’adah, Hajja, Al- Baidha and Dhamar over the period from March to October 2015.

These aerial attacks were conducted at times when people were pursuing their normal lives either at homes or in public places in markets, or entertaining themselves in public parks. These aerial attacks targeted places totally distinct from military camps and far away from military installations.

Casualties resulting from the coalition’ air strikes on Al-Makha sea city western Ta’iz governorate were the most obvious example of the pain inflicted on civilians. The casualties among civilians there stand as a living testimony of the horrors of war and of the grave errors associated with the Saudi Arabia-led military campaign against this impoverished nation.

A residential compound in Al-Makha city was subjected to air bombardment on the evening of July 24, 2015. These attacks were the most bloody resulting in the killing of 65 civilians of which 13 were children and 12 were women. In addition, 36 were seriously injured of which 14 were children and 13 were women when the attacks hit a housing compound accommodating employees of a power plant in Al-Makha. The housing compound is composed of 200 apartments.

People living in the villages of Sanaban , will never forget 7 October 2015. They told how a joyful wedding event turned all of a sudden into disaster. It is also equally difficult for residents of Waheja village in northwest Ta’iz to forget events of 28 September 2015 when a wedding party attended by female members of village turned into a wake.

On October 7, 2015 an aerial attack by the Saudi Arabian led coalition hit Sanaban –a rural village- in Mayfa’h east of Dhamar governorate. The unexpected horrific bombardment struck a wedding party there. 40 civilians were killed of which 15 were children and 14 were women. Number of injuries were estimated 42 of which 14 were women and 13 were children. The aerial attacks also resulted in the demolition of a three-story building where the wedding invitees from at least 3 neighboring villages were.

On September 28, 2015, a small village named Waheja on the North-West of Ta’iz governorate southern Yemen, was subjected to the same ordeal following an attack by the Saudi Arabia led coalition hitting a wedding celebration which was attended exclusively by women.

Another aerial attack by the Saudi Arabia led coalition on Waheja village took place on September, 28, 2015 once again hitting a wedding celebration and resulted in the death of 26 civilians of which 13 were children and 12 were women. Two camp sites where the wedding celebration took place were hit: one of the camps was ear-marked for men and the other site was exclusively marked for women in attendance of the wedding event.

Mwatana carried out field investigative research on the 44 incidents of air strikes and conducted interviews with 155 persons including victims, families of the victims, eye- witnesses and medical sources.

The field research and investigations conducted by Mwatana confirm that in the nine Yemeni governorates at least 615 civilians were killed among whom 120 were women and 220 were children. Moreover, at least 678 civilian were injured including 125 women and 167 children.