Bombing of Mokha

Last updated

Bombing of Mokha
Yemen adm location map.svg
Locator Dot.png
Mokha
Mokha (Yemen)
Date24 July 2015 (2015-07-24)
Duration0:30:00
Location Mokha, Yemen
Coordinates 13°20′57″N43°15′4″E / 13.34917°N 43.25111°E / 13.34917; 43.25111
Type Airstrike
TargetCivilian residential compound of Mokha power plant
Casualties
65 [1] – 120 dead [2] (including 10 children [1] )
150 injured [2]
Accused Saudi Arabian led coalition

On 24 July 2015, between 9:30 and 10:00 p.m., the city of Mokha, Yemen, was bombed by the Saudi Arabian led coalition. [3] The airstrikes struck two worker housing complexes for engineers and technicians at the Mokha steam power plant. [3] [4] The attack left between 65 [1] and 120 [2] dead, including at least 10 children. [1]

Contents

According to the workers and residents of the compound, at least one aircraft dropped nine bombs in separate sorties in intervals of a few minutes. [3] The United Nations said that at least 36 buildings – including schools, hospitals, court houses, communications institutions, and power generation facilities – were damaged or destroyed. [4]

Mokha, a city on the coast of the Red Sea, was previously considered to be one of the safest cities during the war in Yemen. [5] The attack was one of the deadliest attacks by Saudi Arabia against Yemen. [6] The attack was condemned by Human Rights Watch, who investigated the scene the day after the attack, saying that the airstrike was unlawful because there was "no evident military target." [7] Yemeni officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the distance between the attacked buildings and the closest Houthi outpost was about three miles. A military official stated that "incorrect coordinates" were given to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition. [5]

Background

On 26 March 2015, Saudi Arabia led a coalition of nine Arab states in carrying out airstrikes in Yemen. [8] The intervention was claimed to be a response to a request for assistance from Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, the then-President of Yemen. [9] He immediately left the country for Saudi Arabia after the military intervention started. [10] The Saudi-led coalition has performed military operations against Houthi militia and loyalists of Ali Abdullah Saleh, former Yemeni president. [8]

The UN said that between 26 March 2015 and the Mokha bombing, at least 1,693 civilians were killed in the fighting and 3,829 were wounded. [5] The International Committee of the Red Cross said that "under international humanitarian law, all countries and parties involved in conflict must distinguish between military and civilian objects, and uphold the principles of proportionality and precaution." [1]

Bombing

The airstrike hit two compounds in the residential area of the Mokha steam power plant that housed workers. [9] [10] Many of the workers had relatives there who had traveled for the Eid al-Fitr celebration, which was held on 18 July 2015 and marked the end of Ramadan. [9] According to security officials and eyewitnesses, the strikes in the area continued into Saturday while dozens of families fled the area. [5]

Casualties

Reports of casualties vary, ranging from "65 dead and dozens wounded", according to Human Rights Watch, to "120 dead and 150 wounded", according to US news outlets. [2] [11] [12] [6] The airstrike was criticized by Human Rights Watch and various media outlets due to its targeting of a residential complex. [3] [13]

Videos posted on social media appeared to show terrified bystanders rushing for shelter during the attack, as well as a significant number of people killed and seriously injured afterward. [7] The officials said the attack razed some of the buildings. [5]

Aftermath

The attack increased worries that Saudi military operations were starting to target civilians in addition to military targets. According to Yemeni officials, the distance between the struck block and the closest Houthi outpost is about three miles. [9] By 2016, it was labeled as the second-deadliest attack by the Saudi campaign. [6] Human Rights Watch stated that the airstrike was a war crime, [14] [7] [15] and Ole Solvang, speaking for the organization, said, "Again and again, we see coalition airstrikes killing large numbers of civilians, but no signs of any investigation into possible violations." [7]

HRW added that "with no evident military target, this attack appears to be a war crime." [1] HRW stated that it visited the site of the incident on 26 July and did not find any signs indicating that the compounds were being used for military purposes. [7] According to the HRW report, two apartment complexes had their roofs partially collapsed as a result of direct bombing. Many of the buildings' external walls were torn off by further explosives that detonated between the buildings, including in the main courtyard, "leaving only the load-bearing pillars standing." [16]

One neighbor who witnessed the scene after the attack compared the situation to a scene from Judgement Day, saying that "corpses and heads" were spread around and "engulfed by fire and ashes." Another nearby resident told Amnesty International that the memories of passing by "pools of blood and severed limbs" of more than 20 victims still troubled him nearly a month after the attack. [17]

According to plant employees, the military facility site that Human Rights Watch identified 100 m (330 ft) southeast of the company's main campus was actually a military air defense base. The staff at the plant said that it had been vacant for months. [7] A military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that "the coalition had been given incorrect coordinates" and that the coordinates had not come from "anyone in the district". [5]

Days after the strike, the Saudi-led coalition battling Houthi rebels in Yemen announced a five-day ceasefire. According to the statement by the Saudi state media, the ceasefire was made at the request of Abed Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to Saudi Arabia's King Salman. [9] The coalition said that it would respond to attacks or movements by Houthis or their allies during the ceasefire. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houthi movement</span> Islamist political and military organization in Yemen

The Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaidi Shias, with their namesake leadership being drawn largely from the Houthi tribe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yemeni peace process</span> Attempts to resolve the crisis in Yemen

Yemeni peace process refers to the proposals and negotiations to pacify the Yemeni Crisis by arranging a power transfer scheme within the country and later cease-fire attempts within the raging civil war. While initially unsuccessful, the reconciliation efforts resulted with presidential elections, held in Yemen in February 2012. The violence in Yemen, however, continued during the elections and after, culminating in Houthi seizure of power and the ensuing civil war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 in Yemen</span> List of events

The following lists events that happened in 2015 in Yemen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yemeni civil war (2014–present)</span> Ongoing civil war in the state of Yemen

The Yemeni civil war is an ongoing multilateral civil war that began in late 2014 mainly between the Rashad al-Alimi-led Presidential Leadership Council and the Mahdi al-Mashat-led Supreme Political Council, along with their supporters and allies. Both claim to constitute the official government of Yemen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war</span> Saudi war against Houthis in Yemen launched in 2015

On 26 March 2015, Saudi Arabia, leading a coalition of nine countries from West Asia and North Africa, launched an intervention in Yemen at the request of Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who had been ousted from the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 by Houthi insurgents during the Yemeni Civil War. Efforts by the United Nations to facilitate a power sharing arrangement under a new transitional government collapsed, leading to escalating conflict between government forces, Houthi rebels, and other armed groups, which culminated in Hadi fleeing to Saudi Arabia shortly before it began military operations in the country.

International reactions to the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen of 2015 were mixed. Most other Arab League nations and several Western governments backed the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition, but other governments warned against an escalation in the violent situation in Yemen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Taiz</span> Conflicts in and around Taiz, Yemen, in the civil war from 2015–present

The siege of Taiz is an ongoing, protracted military confrontation between opposing Yemeni forces in the city of Taiz for control of the city and surrounding area. The battle began one month after the start of the Yemeni Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict</span> Armed conflict between the Houthi movement in Yemen and Saudi Arabia

The Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict is an ongoing armed conflict between the Royal Saudi Armed Forces and Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi forces that has been taking place in the Arabian Peninsula, including the southern Saudi regions of Asir, Jizan, and Najran, and northern Yemeni governorates of Saada, Al Jawf, and Hajjah, since the onset of the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen in 2015.

A Saudi Arabian-led military intervention in Yemen began in 2015, in an attempt to influence the outcome of the Yemeni Civil War. Saudi Arabia, spearheading a coalition of nine Arab states, began carrying out airstrikes in neighbouring Yemen and imposing an aerial and naval blockade on 26 March 2015, heralding a military intervention code-named Operation Decisive Storm. More than 130 health facilities(2019) in Yemen have been destroyed by a series of airstrikes conducted by the Saudi Arabian-led coalition since March 2015. Many of these have been public health hospitals staffed or supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Critics of the assaults say the airstrikes are war crimes in violation of the protections of health care facilities afforded by the internationally recognized rules of war and have called for independent investigations.

The December 2015 Taiz missile attack was a strike carried out by the pro-Saleh Yemeni Army and Houthi militants with a Tochka ballistic missile against a military camp that was being used by troops of the Saudi-led coalition, south-west of the city of Taiz. The strike inflicted numerous casualties on the coalition forces. Reports said that there were 152 casualties in the camp, including 23 Saudi, 18 Sudanese, 9 Moroccan, and 7 Emirati servicemen reportedly killed. Large amounts of military material were destroyed, including vehicles and air-defense systems. In addition, Houthi militants claimed to have killed at least 40 mercenaries of the Academi private military company in the missile strike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War crimes in the Yemeni civil war (2014–present)</span> Aspect of the war

War crimes and human rights violations, committed by all warring parties, have been widespread throughout the Yemeni civil war. This includes the two main groups involved in the ongoing conflict: forces loyal to the current Yemeni president, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and Houthis and other forces supporting Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former Yemeni president. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have also carried out attacks in Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition, backed by the United States and other nations, has also been accused of violating human rights and breaking international law, especially in regards to airstrikes that repeatedly hit civilian targets.

The Sanaa funeral airstrike took place on the afternoon of 8 October 2016 when 155 people were killed and at least 525 more wounded when two airstrikes, about three to eight minutes apart, hit the packed Al Kubra hall in Sanaa, Yemen during a funeral. The attack was the deadliest single bombing in the then-two year long Yemeni civil war. The funeral was being held for the father of former interior minister Jalal al-Rowaishan. Sanaa mayor Abdel Qader Hilal was reportedly among those killed. The Saudi-led coalition initially denied responsibility but then took responsibility and put the blame on information given by the Yemeni government.

The following is a timeline of the Yemeni civil war, which began in September 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Al Hudaydah</span> Battle of the Yemeni Civil War

The siege of Al Hudaydah, codenamed Operation Golden Victory, was a major Saudi-led coalition assault on the port city of Al Hudaydah in Yemen. It was spearheaded by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and has been considered as the largest battle since the start of Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen in 2015.

On 9 August 2018, Saudi Arabian expeditionary aircraft bombed a civilian school bus passing through a crowded market in Dahyan, Saada Governorate, Yemen, near the border with Saudi Arabia. At least 40 children were killed, all under 15 years old and most under age 10. Sources disagree on the exact number of deaths, but they estimate that the air strike killed about 51 people.

The Abha International Airport attacks were cruise missile attacks carried out by the Yemeni Houthi rebels which occurred in June 2019. The attack targeted the arrivals hall of Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia and killed one civilian and injured 47 others.

During the Yemeni civil war, Saudi Arabia led an Arab coalition of nine nations from the Middle East and parts of Africa in response to calls from the internationally recognized pro-Saudi president of Yemen Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi for military support after he was ousted by the Houthi movement due to economic and political grievances, and fled to Saudi Arabia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Marib</span> Battle to capture last stronghold in North Yemen

The Battle of Marib is an ongoing battle that began in February 2021 following the advance of the Houthis towards the city of Marib, the capital of Marib Governorate in Yemen controlled by the Cabinet of Yemen.

During the presidency of Barack Obama, the United States began providing Saudi Arabia with critical support to "sustain" the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in the Yemeni Civil War, later expanded during the presidency of Donald Trump. This support included logistical and intelligence aid. Trump vetoed a bipartisan bill in 2019 aimed at stopping U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. In 2021, Joe Biden vowed to halt U.S. support for the war, though U.S. arms sales to the coalition have continued.

The following is a timeline of the Yemeni humanitarian crisis, ongoing since the mid-2010s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Saudi-led raid on Yemen plant appears unlawful - Rights Watch". Reuters. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Al-Haj, Ahmed (24 July 2015). "Yemeni officials, witnesses: Saudi-led coalition airstrikes kill more than 120 in port city". AP. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Yemen: Coalition Strikes on Residence Apparent War Crime". Human Rights Watch. 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  4. 1 2 Al-Haj, Ahmed; Kennedy, Merrit (25 July 2015). "Saudi-led airstrikes kill 120; deadliest in Yemen conflict". Yahoo News . Archived from the original on 28 July 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Saudi Arabia-led coalition calls ceasefire in Yemen after air strike kills 120 people". the Guardian. 26 July 2015. Archived from the original on 26 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Saudi-led coalition airstrike hits Yemen funeral, killing over 140 people". CNBC. 9 October 2016. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Saudi-led raid on Yemen plant appears unlawful: Rights Watch". Reuters. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Saudi warplanes bomb Houthi positions in Yemen". Al Arabiya. 25 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Bolton, Doug (26 July 2015). "Saudi-led coalition calls Yemen ceasefire days after massive airstrike killed 120 people". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  10. 1 2 Abdallah, Khaled; Aboudi, Sami (26 March 2015). "Yemeni leader Hadi leaves country as Saudi Arabia keeps up air strikes". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  11. ↑ "Durable ceasefire needed as 'humanitarian catastrophe' leaves millions suffering in Yemen – UN relief chief". UN News. United Nations. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Saudi-led warplanes hit Yemen's Taiz killing 80 " Archived 2016-03-07 at the Wayback Machine , Reuters,25 July 2015
  13. ↑ "Over 65 Yemenis killed in Saudi-led coalition air raids " Archived 2015-08-01 at the Wayback Machine ,LHV news, 29 July 2015
  14. ↑ "Saudi-led coalition violated laws-of-war in Yemen, says Human Rights Watch". Airforce Technology. 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  15. ↑ "UN: Almost 1,900 civilians killed in Yemen conflict". america.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  16. ↑ "Saudi Arabia-led coalition airstrikes on Mokha is a war crime: HRW". www.saba.ye. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  17. ↑ "'Nowhere safe for civilians': Airstrikes and ground attacks in Yemen". reliefweb.int. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.