As Saudi warplanes continue to pound civilian and industrial targets across northern Yemen, they are facing some growing criticism, today in the form of an angry response from an Italian corporation after the Saudis destroyed one of their factories.
The factory, in Sanaa, produced water pumps, and Saudi Arabia claimed it was being converted into a “military manufacturing unit” producing pipes which would be used for makeshift missiles. They insisted the destruction “was necessary to protect Saudi border cities.”
Caprari, the company in question, fired back, insising that the factory was “purely civilian” and had been operating for over 20 years, producing water pumps for civilian use. The factory was half destroyed in a fire that resulted from the airstrike, and did several million dollars in damage, though employees were not present at the time of the attack, and no casualties are reported.
Still, company director Alberto Caprari slammed the Saudi attack as part of a war that is ruining the “industrial fabric of Yemen,” adding that the conflict was a “forgotten war.” Saudi Arabia attacked Yemen 18 months ago, a campaign which has killed massive numbers of civilians.