Saudi Airstrike Kills Five Yemeni Civilians in Northern Saada

Attack destroyed vehicle, killing all within

According to the Health Ministry of Yemen’s Shi’ite Houthi movement, Saudi Arabia carried out an airstrike, killing at least five civilians within. The civilians included the driver, two women, and two children.

The attack took place in Saada Province, in the far north of Yemen. The Saudis have not issued any statement confirming or denying the attack, nor indeed do they generally comment on attacks killing only a handful of civilians.

Saudi Arabia has been condemned internationally for the huge number of civilians killed in years of reckless airstrikes. This has fueled calls for Western nations to stop selling advanced munitions to the Saudis to keep the war going.

While the UN has criticized the Saudis at time for civilian deaths, particularly for killing children, Saudi expressions of outrage largely have prevented any international repercussions, and indeed the UN has at times reversed its publication of criticisms at the Saudis’ behest.

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.