Saudi airstrikes target bus children, killing and wounds more than 130 mostly children: Report

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At least 130 civilians were killed , Thursday, in fresh US-Saudi airstrikes that targeted a school bus carrying children to summer camp on the city’s outskirts in Dhahian  Yemen’s northwestern province of Saada. At least 50 people lost their lives in the airstrike, including shoppers and passers-by, mostly children

The death toll is expected to rise as many victims of the airstrikes remain in critical condition and hospitals struggle to cope because of the lack of medical supplies due to the Saudi-coalition siege that began in 2015. Al-Jomouri hospital, already full of a number of wounded from previous airstrikes, has launched an urgent appeal for Yemeni citizens to donate blood

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement that the school bus was indeed carrying children. Johannes Bruwer, head of delegation for the ICRC in Yemen, said in a tweet that most of the victims were under the age of 10

The Saudi-led coalition issued a statement released by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) claiming the fatal airstrikes were aimed at missile launchers used by Yemeni forces to target the Jizan industrial city in southern Saudi Arabia, adding, “the strikes conformed to international and humanitarian laws.” Mohammed AbdulSalam, official spokesman for Ansar Allah, described these coalition’s claims as “the summit of absurdity and moral failure

US-Saudi-led Coalition targeted Funeral procession, in  Fala area of the Majz district southern Saada, killing 5 civilians. Elsewhere, Saudi fighter jets struck Zabid District in Yemen’s western province of Hodeida, killing two civilians and injuring one child

Yesterday, at least 18 civilians, mostly women and children were killed and tens wounded, when Saudi airstrikes bombed two civilian targets in the village of al Amasiha in Amran, northwestern Yemen, as Saudi-led Coalition pressed ahead with its bombing campaign, which often targets civilians, in the country

First, Saudi airstrikes targeted camps belonging to the Saleh bedouin tribe, killing members of seven different families. The nomadic tribe reached the area three months ago in search of livestock pasture and water. Saudi warplanes returned to the camp at sunset at targeted rescuers who were still struggling to retrieve bodies from the rubble. Five rescuers were killed in the second round of strikes

Saudi fighter jets also conducted airstrikes on a farm in al-Jar area, in the Abs district in northwestern Yemen, killing 6 civilians. The victims were all members of the same family, Four women and a infant girl were among the deceased

The bombing of the school bus, the Saleh bedouin camp as well as a family farm were amongst the tens of massive attacks targeting civilians this week. Last Thursday, the coalition bombed a fish market in Hodeida western Yemen, killing tens of fishermen and wounding others who were later transferred to al-Thawrah hospital, which would be targeted by coalition bombs a short time later.  So far 60 people are believed to have been killed in the two attacks and 130 were wounded, including three women and children

On Friday, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted two airstrikes on a fishing dock. According to Yemen’s General Authority for Marine Fisheries in the Red Sea, Saudi airstrikes killed 28 fishermen in three attacks on Yemen`s Hodeida in the past three days alone

On Wednesday, Yemen’s Houthis (Ansar Allah) suspended retaliatory attacks against Saudi-led coalition forces in the Red Sea in response to regional and international efforts to bring peace to Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition claims the Houthis are using Hodeida as a base to attack oil tankers

Although the coalition has not commented on the bombing yet, but it is expected to evade responsibility for the attack or accusing the Houthis of being behind the attacks without providing any evidence to back its claims

 The U.S.-baked, Saudi-led coalition has disavowed attacks in Yemen many times before; The coalition initially denied its role in the attack on a funeral at a community hall in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on October 8, 2016 that killed over 140 civilians. It later admitted targeting the funeral, claiming that an unnamed party had provided false intelligence

The U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition has targeted hospitals, schools, markets, and camps for the internally displaced. Yemen’s military has responded by firing salvos of missiles at military and economic targets inside Saudi Arabia, including on the Saudi capital of Riyadh

Over 600,000 civilians have been killed or injured in Yemen since the Saudi-coalition began its attacks in 2015 according to Yemen’s Ministry of Human Rights based in Sanaa. The U.S.-backed Saudi-coalition’s blockade on Yemen has also triggered an epidemic of disease and famine across the country