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Poor Yemenis Continue to be Killed Daily in an Endless War by US-Saudi-Hadi Forces and by Houthis

December 20, 2017 

Yemenis killed in a Saudi-led air strike, December 10, 2017	Pro-Houthi Yemeni soldiers, December 10, 2017

 

US Airstrikes Kill 5 al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula Members in Yemen

From a U.S. Central Command News Release

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2017 —

U.S. airstrikes killed five al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in Yemen’s al-Bayda governorate Nov. 20, in an effort to disrupt the terrorist's attack networks, according to a U.S. Central Command news release issued today.

Mujahid al-Adani, an al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula Shabwah leader, was killed in the strikes, along with al-Bayda-based facilitator Abu Layth al-Sanaani and three terrorist network associates, the release said.

Al-Adani, also known as Mohammad Shukri, previously served as an al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula military leader in Aden and remained responsible for planning and conducting attacks against Yemeni and coalition forces. Al-Adani maintained a significant influence within al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula as well as close ties to other terrorist network senior leaders, according to the release.

The Shabwah offensive has forced al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula to consolidate within the northern and eastern portions of the Abyan and eastern al-Bayda governorates, respectively, the release said.

The removal of key al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula leaders and associates in this region, the release said, will further degrade the terrorist network's freedom of movement and operation, limiting their ability to challenge Yemeni security forces and coalition advances.  

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Paramount that civilians are protected in Yemen, underscores UN

UN News Center,

4 December 2017 –

Voicing concern over the dramatic escalation in fighting in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, and surrounding areas, that have reportedly killed about one hundred people and injured many more, the United Nations called on the parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international law and ensure that civilians are not harmed.

“It is paramount that civilians are protected, that the wounded are afforded safe access to medical care, and that all sides facilitate life-saving humanitarian access,” Stéphane Dujarric, the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, told reporters Monday at a regular press briefing at the UN Headquarters, in New York.

“We remind all parties to the conflict that deliberate attacks against civilians and against civilian and medical infrastructure are clear violations of international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes.”

At the briefing, the UN spokesperson also said that relief workers in the city are not able to reach those in desperate need of help due to the sheer scale of violence and that there have been reports that ambulances have been attacked.

Renewing the Organization’s call on warring parties for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sana’a, he added: “We cannot overemphasize that there is no military solution to the Yemen conflict. [We] stand ready to facilitate a negotiated political settlement that is inclusive, fair and sustainable.”

Earlier today, Jamie McGoldrick, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, highlighted the severity of the crisis and called for an urgent humanitarian pause to allow civilians to seek assistance, aid workers to reach them, and for the wounded to be evacuated.

I call on all parties to the conflict to urgently enable a humanitarian pause on Tuesday, 5 December, between 10.00 AM and 16.00 PM to allow civilians to leave their homes and seek assistance and protectionJamie McGoldrick, Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen

“The streets of Sana’a have become battlegrounds and people are trapped in their homes, unable to move out in search of safety and medical care and to access basic supplies such as food, fuel and safe water,” he said in a statement.

“I call on all parties to the conflict to urgently enable a humanitarian pause on Tuesday, 5 December, between 10.00 AM and 16.00 PM to allow civilians to leave their homes and seek assistance and protection,” he added.

Mr. McGoldrick also urged UN Member States with leverage on the parties to the conflict to step up their engagement “for the sake of the protection of the civilian population.”

Further in the statement, the senior UN relief official also stressed that deliberate attacks against civilians, humanitarians and health-care personnel, as well as against civilian and medical infrastructure, are clear violations of international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes.

UN rights chief appoints experts to investigate violations and abuses in Yemen

In related news, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Monday appointed members to the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen, established by the Human Rights Council in September this year, to monitor and report on the situation in the war-torn country.

In the resolution, the Geneva-based Human Rights Council –the highest intergovernmental forum on human rights within the UN system – requested the experts to carry out a “comprehensive examination of all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights and other appropriate and applicable fields of international law committed by all parties to the conflict […] and to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged violations and abuses and, where possible, to identify those responsible.”

The members appointed Monday are Kamel Jendoubi (Tunisia), who will serve as chairperson, Charles Garraway (United Kingdom) and Melissa Parke (Australia).

“The group’s creation is an important step toward accountability and ending impunity for the serious violations of human rights committed by all sides in Yemen amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the country, and ensuring justice and remedy for the victims,” said the UN rights chief, in a news release announcing the appointments.

According to the release, the experts will submit a comprehensive written report to the High Commissioner by September 2018.

News Tracker: past stories on this issue

UN chief calls for end to all armed clashes, airstrikes in Yemen

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The following news stories are from the pro-Saudi website Al-Masdar ( http://www.almasdaronline.com/category/42  ):

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US military: we killed five al-Qaeda elements in Yemen, including a leader

ALMASDARONLINE, 2017-12-11T01:14:48

The US military said on Friday night that they have carried out several air strikes on November 20 on the Yemeni al Bayda province, killing five elements of al-Qaeda organization, including Mujahid al-Adani, who he described as one of the organization's leaders.
 
"Al-Adani had great influence in AQAP and his close ties with other senior leaders of the organization," the US Central Command said in a statement.

Six civilians killed, eight wounded by Houthi shelling in Taiz

ALMASDARONLINE , 2017-12-11T01:25:45

Six civilians were killed and eight others wounded on Thursday when the Houthi militias attacked a residential neighborhood and a passenger car western Taiz city, southwestern Yemen.
 
The Houthis, poisoned in Hithran area, bombed a passenger car in al Jabalain dam in al Dabab area western Taiz, killing 4 civilians and wounding two others, a local source told Almasderonline.
 
Meanwhile, the Houthis intensified their shelling on the residential neighborhoods eastern and western Taiz, and the villages of al Dabab and Sabir mountain.
They also bombarded the 50th Street by a number of shells, which one of them fell on a house in al Jarajer neighborhood in Beer Basha area, western the city, killing two civilians and injuring six others.

Government forces control al Khocha, advance to al Hodeidah

ALMASDARONLINE, 2017-12-11T01:21:05

The government forces, backed by the Arab coalition forces, advanced to Hays outskirts southern al Hodeidah province, western Yemen, after they have took full control of the al Khokha district, Abu Musa al Ash'ari camp and villages northern the district that are near to the fishing port in al Haymah area near al Tuhayta district. 
 
At the same time, the government forces took control of the villages eastern al Khokha and imposed a siege on the Houthi militias in al Najeiba and al Hamili northern Moze'e, western Taiz, on the outskirts of Hays southern al Hodeidah.
 
In turn, the Arab coalition aircraft launched 14 air raids, and Apache helicopters fired 20 missiles, in addition to the battleships attack with 21 rockets on the militia reinforcements sites in the outskirts of al Khokha, al Tuhayta and Hays, killing ten Houthi, wounding eight others, capturing seven elements and destroying five military vehicles, in addition to the killing of seven soldiers and wounding 11 others. 
 
Large reinforcements of the government forces have reached their sites in Moze'e and al Khokha amid continuous collapses of the Houthi militias and their retreat to Hays and al Tuhayta southern al Hodeidah.

Al Jawf: Government forces capture Houthi leader and rockets fire engineers

ALMASDARONLINE, 2017-12-10T21:50:09

The government forces captured a leader of the Houthi group and engineers specialized in launching heat rockets in Al-Jouf province, northeast of Yemen, a military source said.
 
The source said that the government forces captured the general supervisor of Khab district Abu Ali al Kebsi, in al Ghrimail area located between Al-Jouf and Sa'ada provinces, the stronghold of the Houthis.
 
The source added that a crew specialized in the launching thermal missiles, in the group of Houthis, were captured along with al Kebsi.
 
The government forces also seized large military equipment, during the process of advancing in the region the past two days, and control of Houthi sites, according to the military source. 

Government forces advance towards al Khocha district, groups of the Republican Guard join them

ALMASDARONLINE, 2017-12-07T00:14:08

The government forces backed by the Arab coalition forces took control on Wednesday western Taiz province, and headed towards Al Khocha and Hays district southern al Hodeida province, western Yemen, a military source told Almasdaronline.
 
The government forces managed to defeat the Houthis northern Yakhtil district, and proceeded towards Al-Zahari area in parallel with their advance from al Ramah axis northern Al Mocha district towards al Khocha district.
 
Moreover, the Government forces also advanced from the strategic Harzine mountain in al Hamli area northern the Mozza district, and continued to advance in the Najaiba highway that led to Hays district southern al Hodeida province.
 
According to the source, groups of the Republican Guard forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh joined the ranks of government forces northern al Mocha district, and went together to fight the Houthis in al Zahari district.
 
 
On the other hand, the government forces were able to regain al Houd village and Safih and Mania hulls northern al Selow district, southern Taiz in fierce fighting resulted in killing of six government troops and 11 Houthis.

Coalition intensive raids kill 12 Houthi, wound 17 others in Taiz

ALMASDARONLINE, 2017-12-07T00:07:34

The Saudi-led Arab coalition aircraft have launched around 13 air raids on the Houthi sites in al Zahari and Yakhtel outskirts areas northern al Mocha city western Taiz province, southwestern Yemen, resulting in the killing of 12 gunmen and wounding 17 others, as well as destroying four military vehicles, Katyusha rockets launcher, and a cannon, a military source told Almasdaronline
 
In coincidence with the air raids, heavy artillery shelling took place between the government forces and the Houthis in al Mocha and Moze'e district.
 
Meanwhile, the Houthis launched a fierce attack on the government forces sites in Han mountain western Taiz city from their positions in Hithran and al Robaie'e sites.

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The following news stories are from the pro-Houthi website Yemen Extra (http://www.yemenextra.net/):

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An offensive attack on the paid fighters’ sites in AL-Jawf province

Dec 10, 2017, YemenExtra

In response to the Saudi-led coalition’s nonstop air strikes that claimed the lives of about 13,000 people, mostly civilians , the Yemeni joint forces ,Sunday, carried out an offensive attack on the paid fighters’ sites in AL-Jawf province.

A military official told “YemenExtra” that a number of the paid fighters fell dead and wounded in attack by the Yemeni joint forces on their sites in Masloob district.

Dead , wounded amid Saudi-led coalition in Shabwah

Dec 10, 2017, YemenExtra

In response to the Saudi-led coalition’s fatal air strikes that claimed the lives of about 13,000 people, mostly civilians , the Yemeni joint forces ,Sunday, carried out three military operations on the paid fighters’ sites in Shabwah.

A military official told “YemenExtra” that units of the Yemeni joint forces attacked sites of the paid fighters in Shabwah.

The Yemeni joint forces were able to advance in Osilan front , inflicting the paid fighters heavy losses in lives and ammunitions.

Yemeni joint forces shells Saudi-led coalition’s paid fighters’ sites in Marib

Dec 10, 2017, YemenExtra

In response to the Saudi-led coalition’s fatal air strikes that claimed the lives of about 13,000 people, mostly civilians , the artillery of the Yemeni joint forces shelled gatherings of the Saudi-led coalition’s paid fighters in al-Makhdara area in Serwah district of Marib province, a military official told “YemenExtra” on Sunday.

The artillery shelling , in addition, aimed the paid fighters in al-Tibab al-Sood (black hills) in al-Makhdara, which led to a number of deaths and injuries in their ranks.

Zelzal 2 Rocket Hits Dozens of Coalition’s Forces in Shabwa

Dec 10, 2017, YemenExtra

On Sunday, December 10, 2017, a rocket-propelled fired by Yemeni army forces at a cluster of Coalition’s mercenaries in Shabwa province.

In this targets,Yemeni military source confirmed the death and wounding of a number of mercenaries after targeting their communities with a missile of type “Zelzal 2” in the province of Shabwa. 

You Are Not Safe If You Are in a Local Market in Yemen: Graphic

Dec 10, 2017, YemenExtra

According to a local source, the Saudi-led coalition conducted four raids on Saturday targeting the local market in Nehm District, outskirts of the capital Sana’a, dubbed Khalqa Popular Market, killing five citizens and destroying 3 cars.

The warplanes also launched three more raids on the aforementioned district, including a raid on the area of Alhnashat. source confirmed.

Such crime is only one of the series of crimes perpetrated by the Saudi-led coalition against citizens amid the silence of the international community.

Saudi Warplanes Destroy Two Houses in Hajjah Governorate

Dec 10, 2017, YemenExtra

The Saudi-led coalition launched two raids on Thursday targeting the homes of Sheikh Walid Abu Dunya and his brother Ahmed Abu Dunya in Uzlah Al-Dhufair based in Mabyan District, Hajjah Governorate.

The two airstrikes led to the complete destruction of the houses along with damaging several nearby houses. In addition, three civilians sustained various wounds, according to a local source close to YemenExtra.

Mabyan District have witnessed several war crimes since the beginning of the Saudi war against Yemen in March 26, however, such humanitarian violations increased after Ansarullah foiled an attempted sedition, led by the Saudi-led coalition, using former Yemeni president Saleh.

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