Saudi Strike Kills At Least 12 Civilians in West Yemen

Attacks Targeted Trucks Shipping Coal From Taiz

At least a dozen civilians were reported killed in Yemen’s Taiz Province overnight, when Saudi warplanes attacked a line of coal trucks shipping coal out of Hais District, killing a number of drivers within.

It’s unclear why coal trucks would be targeted in the first place, and Saudi officials gave no indication of why they carried out a strike, though such strikes have been on the rise in Taiz as pro-Saudi forces try to gain territory.

Saudi interest in Taiz, however, and the increased airstrikes, don’t seem to be particularly focused on military targets, but as with the rest of the country the strikes are heavily focused on civilian infrastructure.

Coal is important for electricity generation within Yemen, and also for heating in some of the more mountainous northern regions. It is likely the coal was heading north, deeper into rebel territory.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.