February 16th: A Bloody Anniversary in the Record of the US-Saudi-Emirati Aggression Against Yemen
In the Yemeni national memory, February 16th is not just another date, but a dark chapter in the ongoing crimes committed by the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression against the Yemeni people.
It is a day marked by airstrikes, artillery shelling, and the use of prohibited weapons, all directed at civilians and infrastructure, within the context of an aggressive war characterized by its criminal and systematic nature.
2016: Comprehensive Targeting of Civilians and Their Property
February 16, 2016, stands as one of the bloodiest and most widespread days of aggression. A civilian vehicle was targeted in the Ghamr district of Saada Governorate, resulting in the deaths of three civilians. Simultaneously, four airstrikes hit civilian homes in Bani Rabi’ah in the Razih district, causing widespread destruction of property.
On the same day, Saada witnessed intense shelling targeting communications networks, quarries, and residential areas in Sahar, Qahza, Ghafra, Maran, and Burkan, in a clear targeting of service infrastructure and the daily lives of residents.
In Al-Jawf, a citizen and his wife were killed in an airstrike that targeted their home in the Bart Al-Marashi district. Meanwhile, airstrikes committed another massacre in the Nihm district of Sana’a Governorate, resulting in the deaths of four citizens and injuries to three others, as well as the destruction of homes and agricultural land.
The crimes extended to Taiz, Hodeidah, Hajjah, and the capital, Sana’a, where airstrikes targeted homes, tourist facilities, factories, shops, and water and communications networks, confirming that the targeting was purely civilian.
2017: Cluster Bombs and the Expansion of Destruction
On February 16, 2017, the aggression escalated its crimes by using cluster bombs, targeting neighborhoods in and around Saada city, causing extensive damage to homes and property.
The airstrikes targeted the governorates of Ma’rib, Hodeidah, Dhamar, and Hajjah, coinciding with heavy artillery shelling by mercenaries on civilian homes and markets in Al-Jawf, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.
2018: Children and Roads in the Crosshairs of Aggression
This day in 2018 witnessed horrific crimes, including the injury of three children by a cluster bomb remnant in Al-Durayhimi, Hodeidah, one of a series of ongoing atrocities.
Six civilians, including a child, were killed in an airstrike targeting a truck in Maqbanah district, Taiz. A civilian vehicle was also targeted in Nihm, and a series of airstrikes hit Sa’dah, Al-Jawf, and Hajjah, along with Saudi missile strikes on border areas.
2019: Heavy Bombardment of Residential Areas and Widespread Field Escalation
On February 16, 2019, a child was killed and two women and another child were injured in an airstrike that targeted a house in the Abs district of Hajjah. Meanwhile, warplanes launched dozens of airstrikes on Amran, Al-Bayda, Dhamar, Sana’a, Sa’dah, and Al-Jawf.
In Hodeidah, mercenaries carried out one of the most intense days of bombardment, launching hundreds of shells and rockets at residential neighborhoods, hospitals, and farms, and directly targeting civilian facilities and hotels in a full-fledged massacre.
2020: Artillery Shelling Targets Residential Areas
The attacks continued on February 16, 2020, with seven civilians injured by artillery shelling of residential areas in Hodeidah. Heavy shelling also targeted Beit al-Faqih and Hays, continuing the war of attrition against civilians.
2021: Border Fires and Inland Raids
On this day in 2021, a civilian was killed by Saudi border guard fire in the Shada district of Saada Governorate. Meanwhile, airstrikes targeted Saada, Marib, Hajjah, and Al-Jawf, accompanied by missile and artillery shelling that struck villages, farms, and public roads.
2022: The Remnants of Aggression Continue to Kill
February 16, 2022, witnessed a series of attacks. A worker was killed and two others were injured when a water drilling rig was targeted in Al-Jawf. Civilians and children were also injured by Saudi artillery shelling and explosions of unexploded ordnance in Saada.
Three civilians were killed by a landmine explosion in Al-Tuhayta, Hodeidah Governorate. Marib, Hajjah, and Sana’a Governorates also experienced intense airstrikes and attacks targeting telecommunications networks.
Documented War Crimes That Do Not Expire
February 16th encapsulates the full scope of the aggression: airstrikes, artillery shelling, prohibited weapons, direct targeting of civilians, and the systematic destruction of the foundations of life.
It is a day that exposes the hypocrisy of the humanitarian slogans of the aggressor states and confirms that what has been committed in Yemen are documented war crimes that do not expire and cannot be erased by international silence.