Saudi Airstrikes Kill at Least 25 Civilians in Ta’izz Market

By Staff, Agencies

At least 25 civilians have been killed and dozens wounded in three consecutive Saudi airstrikes targeting a crowded market in Yemen’s southwestern province of Ta’izz, according to local sources, less than a week after another busy market in the province was attacked.

Al-Mayadeen television, citing local sources, reported that Saudi aircraft struck al-Hadhara market in the al-Wazi’iyah district on Friday, while the popular bazaar was crowded with shoppers and traders. The initial toll put the number of injured at around 40, with fears that the death toll could rise further as several victims remain in critical condition.

Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said an F-15SA fighter jet belonging to the Royal Saudi Air Force had taken off from King Khalid Air Base near Khamis Mushait earlier that morning and carried out three strikes on the market before returning to its base. He warned that the attacks would not go unanswered or unpunished.

Footage broadcast by Yemen’s al-Masirah television showed bodies and human remains scattered across the market. Residents searched the scene for missing relatives as the scale of the casualties became apparent.

The attack came four days after at least eight people were killed and dozens injured in an assault by Saudi-led forces on al-Makh'af market in the al-Misrakh district of Ta’izz.

Yemen’s Ministry of Human Rights condemned the targeting of popular markets, describing it as a direct attack on civilian sites protected under international humanitarian law.

The ministry cited Article 52 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions and Article 8 of the Rome Statute, and accused Riyadh of pursuing a policy of starvation and collective punishment intended to disrupt Yemenis’ livelihoods.

The ministry held Saudi Arabia responsible for the October 31 attack on al-Hadhara market and called on the United Nations and international organizations to condemn the strike and take action over the targeting of civilians in commercial areas.

The latest escalation follows a series of developments in the wider Saudi-Yemeni conflict, including the bombing of Sana’a International Airport in July and subsequent Yemeni military announcements of retaliatory operations targeting Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea.

Yemeni forces have also reported attacks on targets inside Saudi Arabia and advances along Yemen’s coastal plain in September.

The conflict dates back to March 2015, when Saudi Arabia and a US-backed coalition launched a military campaign and blockade against Yemen. Despite years of military operations, the coalition has not achieved its stated objective of restoring the government it sought to reinstate in Sana’a.