February 17th: Documented Massacres and Systematic Destruction in the Record of the US-Saudi-Emirati Aggression Against Yemen
February 17th is not just another date in Yemeni memory, but one of the days that witnessed a surge in the crimes of the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression, revealing the deliberate nature of the war waged against the Yemeni people and their livelihoods.
It was a day filled with airstrikes, artillery and missile shelling, and the targeting of homes, roads, bridges, and communication networks, all within the context of an aggression characterized from its outset by systematic terrorism and the deliberate killing of civilians.
2016: Massacres of Homes and Open Roads
February 17, 2016, witnessed one of the most horrific massacres, in which 13 civilians were killed and seven others wounded in airstrikes targeting three homes in Wadi al-Malh, Nihm District, Sana’a Governorate. This crime exemplified the direct targeting of residential areas.
In the same district, a civilian vehicle was targeted in the Bani Hujail area, resulting in the deaths of three civilians and damage to several homes. Airstrikes also completely destroyed a house in the Al-Madfun area and caused widespread damage in the Al-Sawad area of the Sanhan district.
In Saada Governorate, two civilians were killed and five others were wounded, and three vehicles were burned in airstrikes on the main road in the Munabbih district. Three civilians were killed in an airstrike targeting a vehicle in the Ghamr district, in addition to three devastating airstrikes on the Al-Muqna’ area, which caused extensive damage to homes and farms.
The attacks extended to Taiz, where a civilian was killed in Dhubab and others were wounded. The Hayfan district was subjected to a series of airstrikes that destroyed the telecommunications network and damaged mosques and homes.
In Al-Jawf, a man and his wife were killed in an airstrike that targeted their home in the Bart Al-Marashi district, while airstrikes also hit Al-Ghayl. Marib also witnessed intense shelling, including attacks on Majzar and Sirwah, and the destruction of homes, in conjunction with heavy artillery and missile fire by mercenaries.
2017: Targeting Homes, Schools, and Service Infrastructure
On February 17, 2017, the aggression’s warplanes continued targeting homes, destroying the house of Sheikh Mohammed bin Naji al-Ghadir in the Khawlan district of Sana’a Governorate.
The airstrikes also targeted al-Omari schools in Dhubab, and areas in Haradh, Midi, and al-Durayhimi. Meanwhile, the Munabbih district of Sa’dah was subjected to Saudi missile and artillery shelling, in an escalation targeting civilians and educational and service infrastructure.
2018: Medics Under Fire and Bridges Destroyed
This day in 2018 witnessed a horrific crime, as 18 civilians, including women and children, were killed and wounded in two airstrikes that targeted civilian vehicles and medics in the al-Aqiq area of the Kataf district in Sa’dah, in flagrant violation of all humanitarian laws. Citizen Mohammed Saleh Ayda was killed in Razih, and a water truck and the Wadi Mur bridge linking Hajjah and Amran were destroyed in a direct attack on vital infrastructure. Communication towers in Jabal Shibam in Manakhah were also destroyed, and there were widespread airstrikes on Al-Jawf and Hajjah.
2019: Escalating Residential and Border Bombing
On February 17, 2019, the Saudi-led coalition warplanes destroyed the home of Sheikh Saleh Hadi Sabr in Nihm. Meanwhile, an elderly woman was injured in Hodeidah by mercenary fire, as they intensified their artillery shelling of residential neighborhoods in Hodeidah and Ad-Durayhimi.
The Baqim district in Saada was also subjected to intense Saudi missile and artillery shelling, while airstrikes targeted Majazah in Asir.
2020: The Massacre of Children in Al-Jawf and a Comprehensive Escalation
February 17, 2020, marked one of the bloodiest days, as the death toll from the aggression in Al-Maslub District of Al-Jawf Governorate rose to 35 martyrs, including 26 children, in addition to 23 wounded, most of whom were children, in a massacre that shocked the conscience of humanity.
The massacre was accompanied by airstrikes on Sa’dah, Nihm, and Majzar, and heavy artillery shelling of Al-Hudaydah, targeting Al-Fazah, Al-Jabaliyah, Hays, Al-Durayhimi, residential areas, public facilities, and bridges.
2021: Continuous Bombing and Reconnaissance Raids
On this day in 2021, reconnaissance aircraft launched two raids on Hays District, while mercenaries intensified their artillery shelling and established new fortifications in Al-Tuhayta, coinciding with four airstrikes on Al-Dhaher District in Sa’dah.
2022: The Aftermath of Aggression and Border Bombardment
February 17, 2022, witnessed the continuation of crimes in various forms. Three civilians were injured by Saudi artillery shelling in the Shada district, and two siblings were injured by an explosion of unexploded ordnance in Sahar.
Dozens of airstrikes were also launched on Hajjah and Ma’rib, while mercenaries continued their artillery and missile bombardment of various areas in Hodeidah Governorate.
Documented War Crimes
February 17 encapsulates the full scope of the aggression: massacres, targeting of homes and roads, artillery and missile shelling, the use of prohibited weapons, and the killing of children and women.
It is yet another day added to a record replete with documented war crimes, confirming that the aggression against Yemen was not a military war, but rather a project of total destruction of humanity and life.