December 20… A Chronicle of Ongoing Crimes in the U.S.–Saudi–Emirati Aggression Against Yemen
December 20, year after year, has become a blood-soaked marker in the record of U.S.–Saudi–Emirati crimes against Yemen—a day on which harsh chapters of violations against life, land, and people were written. Through systematic airstrikes and ground shelling that targeted homes, markets, factories, telecommunications networks, and infrastructure, the scene reflects the deliberate criminal nature of the aggression and confirms that what occurred was a comprehensive policy of killing and destruction aimed at Yemen—its land and its people.
December 20, 2015: Massacres of Women and the Targeting of Villages and Civilian Infrastructure
On this day in 2015, coalition warplanes committed a horrific massacre in Kataf District, Saada Governorate, killing five women when a civilian home was struck. This coincided with a series of intensive airstrikes and Saudi missile and artillery shelling on Shada and Al-Dhahir districts, during which more than 40 missiles targeted roads, farms, and homes.
In Sana’a Governorate, the air force launched heavy strikes on Al-Tayyal District, destroying a telecommunications tower in the Bighan area and targeting Al-Arqoub, Al-Masna’a, Bani Matar, Manakha, and Khawlan—including the Al-Sawari Leather Factory—causing extensive damage to public and private property and agricultural land.
December 20, 2016: Cluster Munitions and the Expansion of Targeting
The year 2016 witnessed a dangerous escalation. Coalition aircraft struck Sirwah in Ma’rib, while mercenary forces shelled citizens’ homes and farms with artillery. In Al-Jawf, coalition warplanes used internationally banned cluster munitions to target farms in Al-Maslub District.
In Saada, wide areas were subjected to intensive airstrikes, including Kahlan, Marran, Sahar, and Kataf. The attacks extended to Nihm, Sana’a, Amran, and Al-Hudaydah, targeting villages, farms, and homes, as well as areas in Jizan and Najran inside Saudi territory.
December 20, 2017: Targeting the Displaced and State Institutions
The year 2017 was among the deadliest on this date. Thirteen civilians, including women and children, were killed and nine others wounded in four airstrikes that hit the Al-Salam Club building in Saada city, where a displaced family had taken refuge after their home was destroyed.
Strikes also hit sovereign and service institutions, including the Parliament building in the Capital Secretariat, food warehouses, military camps, and government complexes in Amran, as well as the vocational institute in Sirwah, Ma’rib—clear evidence of the deliberate targeting of state institutions and administrative and service infrastructure.
December 20, 2018: Direct Sniping and Shelling of Residential Neighborhoods
In 2018, mercenary forces continued crimes against civilians in Al-Hudaydah Governorate. Their snipers targeted a child in Al-Tuhaita District, and they shelled Al-Rafahia Hotel and residential neighborhoods in Al-Hudaydah city, Al-Durayhimi, and Kilometer 16. Meanwhile, coalition aircraft struck Ma’rib, Hajjah, Saada, and border areas.
Saada, Jizan, Najran, and Asir witnessed cross-border airstrikes that hit villages and agricultural areas, leaving widespread destruction.
December 20, 2019: Border Shelling and Mercenary Escalation in Al-Hudaydah
In 2019, a civilian was injured by Saudi border guard fire in Munabbih District, and a child was wounded by mercenary fire in Razih. In Al-Hudaydah, mercenary forces intensified artillery and machine-gun shelling on Al-Jabaliya, Al-Durayhimi, and Hays, targeting farms, homes, and agricultural infrastructure.
December 20, 2020: Reconnaissance Strikes and Heavy Bombardment
In 2020, coalition aircraft launched strikes on Saada and Ma’rib. Al-Hudaydah Governorate experienced one of the most intense bombardment waves, with more than 416 rockets and artillery shells fired, alongside reconnaissance strikes and the construction of combat fortifications within residential neighborhoods.
December 20, 2021: Targeting Telecommunications and Airports
This year saw direct attacks on telecommunications networks in Al-Jawf and Ma’rib, in addition to airstrikes on Sana’a International Airport and the Al-Nahdayn area in the Capital Secretariat—an apparent attempt to isolate Yemen and cripple its service and communications capabilities—while shelling continued in Al-Hudaydah.
December 20, 2022: Entrenching the Aggression and Continued Violations
In 2022, mercenary forces continued their violations in Al-Hudaydah Governorate by establishing combat fortifications and carrying out artillery and machine-gun shelling across multiple areas, confirming that the aggression had not ceased and that its criminal approach persists.
Crimes That Will Not Expire with Time
December 20 stands as a living witness to an aggression that recognized no moral or humanitar