Saudis Target Houthi Camps in Strikes on Yemeni Capital of Sanaa

Saudi media claims underground warehouses struck

Media reports are still emerging on a series of Saudi airstrikes against the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, launched Tuesday night and into Wednesday. Explosions were reported, and several parts of the city were struck.

The sites hit included a Houthi military camp in al-Hafa, along with several seemingly unremarkable parts of the city, which Saudi media presented as “underground warehouses” and caves used in the drone program.

Saudi reports emphasized that civilians in Sanaa had been admonished to avoid sites related to legitimate military targets. The problem, of course, is that the locals had no more reason to know about underground caves than anyone else did, nor expect them to be attacked.

The Saudis have faced criticism internationally for the huge civilian toll of the Yemen War, and beyond superficial excuses they’ve mostly shrugged the matter off. When the Houthis make gains or hit a Saudi target, such retaliation is expected, and the dangers to the civilians are very much beside the point.

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.