Two killed as Saudi-led coalition intensifies air raids against Yemen’s Sana’a Province
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition has carried out deadly air raids against 15 targets, including a food factory, in Yemen’s west-central Sana’a Province, prompting condemnations from officials in the capital.
As Reported by Qods News Agency (Qodsna) At least two people lost their lives after the coalition struck a sponge factory in the province overnight on Sunday, Yemen’s al-Masirah television news reported. Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television channel said the attack had targeted the province’s Jadar Village, and that five people had also been injured as a result.
Al-Masirah said the bombings that hit the capital city, Sana’a, destroyed a food production facility and plastic factory, damaging the houses surrounding the two.
“The aggression (the Saudi-led coalition) also launched four raids on September-21st Park” in the capital, the network also reported.
Al-Mayadeen said the attack on the food factory had also “left a number of victims,” without giving an exact figure.
Houthis vow response
Yemen’s Human Rights Ministry condemned the stepped-up attacks on the capital, saying the raids came at a time when the city was hosting many people, who have fled the Saudi-led attacks against other parts of the country.
It called the strikes “an escalation” and a violation of international human rights law, calling on the United Nations to take a position and condemn the bombings.
Yemen’s popular Houthi Ansarullah movement, which has been defending the country against the Riyadh-led invaders, described the aerial attacks as a joint “US-Saudi” act of aggression.
“The US has directed and prepared for these operations in Sana'a and other areas,” said Ali al-Quhoom, a member of Ansarullah’s Political Bureau.
“We will escalate in response,” said the official, adding that the Yemeni nation and Houthi-led armed forces will continue to defend the country’s people, territory and identity in the face of the Saudi-led military campaign.
The coalition has killed tens of thousands in the Arab world’s poorest country, trying unsuccessfully to restore power to Yemen’s former Riyadh-allied government.
US has been lending generous arms and logistical support to the coalition, turning a deaf year to numerous calls by international rights groups for Washington to drop such support.
The Saudi-led escalation could jeopardize ongoing United Nations peace efforts that brought the two sides together in Sweden for the first time late last year, where they agreed a truce in the lifeline port city of Hudaydah.