July 29, 2019
Houthi Missile Strike Kills 14, Wounds Dozens in Al Thabit Marketplace
July 29, 2019 – Washington DC- The Embassy of Yemen condemns the heinous Houthi missile strikes on a civilian marketplace in Saada, which killed at least 14 civilians and injured dozens more. The Iranian-backed Houthis launched Katyusha rockets at the marketplace in the Qatabir district, deliberately targeting civilians. This is yet another example of the Houthis’ brazen disregard for Yemeni civilians and international war law.
“The Houthis have repeatedly attacked civilians as a fundamental tactic of their war on the Yemeni people,” said Dr. Ahmed Awad BinMubarak, Ambassador of Yemen to the United States. “Houthi war crimes have plagued Yemen since the Houthis began this conflict in 2014. The United Nations, the United States, and the international community must denounce this missile strike on innocent Yemeni civilians and pressure the Houthis to cease all missile strikes against civilian populations both within Yemen’s boundaries and across international borders into Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.”
The cynicism of the Houthi attack was underlined by the rebel group’s coordinated attempt to blame the attack on external forces. This information campaign by the Houthis proves that the attack was clearly premeditated, and the Houthis tried to deflect blame because they knew what they were doing was wrong.
The Iran-backed Houthi militias receive munitions, weapons, training, and financial support from their allies in Tehran. The United Nations, the US Department of State and other international organizations have documented shipments of ballistic missile components, drone material and training provided to the Houthi militias by the Iranian regime.