April 27th: A Day in Memory: The Crimes of Aggression Repeated, and Yemeni Blood a Witness That Will Not Be Forgotten
The date April 27th cannot be treated in the Yemeni memory as merely a passing date on the calendar of aggression. Rather, it is an annual milestone, a renewed testament to a consistent pattern of criminality that clearly reveals the nature of the war waged by the American-Saudi-Emirati aggression against Yemen. This war has not been limited to military confrontations, but has targeted the Yemeni people in the details of their daily lives, from their homes to their livelihoods, and even their search for water.
Throughout the years of aggression, this date has been repeated, laden with a series of crimes geographically distributed across several governorates, yet unified in their objective and method: targeting civilians, destroying the social fabric, and inflicting the greatest possible human and material losses.
Aden 2015: The Beginning of Bloodshed Under the Rubble
On April 27, 2015, one of the most horrific examples of the direct targeting of civilians was recorded when an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition caused a residential building to collapse in the Al-Qatei’ area of Crater district in Aden governorate. This resulted in the martyrdom of Younis Al-Tayeb and his wife, and left others seriously injured.
This crime was not an isolated incident, but rather an early example of the policy of indiscriminate bombing of residential neighborhoods, a policy that would later become a recurring feature across various fronts of the aggression.
2016-2017: Expanding the Scope of Targeting and Integrating the Tools of Killing
In the following years, the crimes took on a broader dimension, as airstrikes were no longer the sole tool, but were integrated with missile and artillery shelling carried out by mercenary forces on the ground.
On April 27, 2016, districts in Taiz, Marib, and Shabwa were subjected to a series of airstrikes and artillery shelling, reflecting coordinated air and ground operations aimed at targeting the largest possible area of populated regions.
In 2017, airstrikes targeted the Al-Sawad area in Sanhan with four raids, causing widespread damage to civilian homes, further confirming that civilian infrastructure was a direct and deliberate target.
2018: Saada Under Fire: Borders and Civilians Targeted Together
On April 27, 2018, the pace of crimes escalated in border areas, particularly in Saada Governorate, where Saudi border guards directly targeted civilians, resulting in deaths and injuries in the districts of Shada, Haydan, and Razih.
These crimes were accompanied by intense missile and artillery shelling and airstrikes targeting various areas, including Bedouin encampments, clearly indicating a deliberate targeting of the most vulnerable groups, who have no means of protection or displacement.
2019: Al-Dhale’ and Al-Hudaydah: Massacres and Systematic Targeting of Residential Areas
April 27, 2019, was one of the bloodiest days, with seven civilians, including women and children, killed when two vehicles were targeted in Al-Dhale’ Governorate, a crime reflecting a complete disregard for civilian lives.
At the same time, Al-Hudaydah Governorate witnessed a significant escalation in artillery and missile shelling, directly targeting residential neighborhoods with the extensive use of mortars and heavy machine guns. This resulted in widespread property damage and exacerbated the suffering of residents already under siege.
2020-2022: Enforcing the Siege Through Fire and Fortifications
During this period, the pace of the crimes did not decrease; rather, it became more organized. Intensive airstrikes—as in Marib—were accompanied by the construction of combat fortifications by mercenaries in Hodeidah, and the continued, repeated shelling of residential neighborhoods.
What is striking about these years is the extensive use of shells and missiles in civilian areas, reflecting a strategy based on exhausting Yemeni society and keeping it under constant pressure, whether through bombing or siege.
2024: The Most Heinous Crime: Targeting Women and Children While Searching for Water
In one of the most horrific crimes, on April 27, 2024, three women and two girls were killed in the Maqbana district of Taiz Governorate while they were going to fetch water, as a result of being targeted by a drone belonging to the aggression’s mercenaries.
This crime encapsulates the very nature of war: a direct targeting of civilian life in its most basic form, where access to water—a fundamental human right—becomes a life-threatening danger.
In the same vein, Saudi artillery shelling of border areas in Saada continued, directly targeting homes and causing extensive damage.
In short: a recurring pattern of criminality and a comprehensive targeting strategy.
A review of the crimes committed on April 27th over the years reveals that they are not isolated incidents, but rather links in a single chain reflecting a comprehensive strategy of aggression based on:
The direct and systematic targeting of civilians.
The destruction of infrastructure and private property.
The simultaneous use of multiple weapons (air, missile, and artillery).
The expansion of the targeting area to include various governorates.
The focus on the most vulnerable groups (women, children, Bedouins, and residents of border areas). This recurring pattern confirms that what has happened and is happening in Yemen is not merely “collateral damage” of war, but rather a deliberate approach amounting to documented war crimes, thus invalidating all claims by the Saudi-led coalition regarding “precision military operations.”
April 27th: An Indelible Memory and an Unforgiven Responsibility
This date remains a living testament to the magnitude of the suffering endured by the Yemeni people and to the failure of the aggression to break their will despite all this escalation.
As the years pass, these crimes transform from mere incidents into a deeply ingrained national memory, strengthening the resilience of Yemenis and revealing to the world the truth of what transpired. These crimes are not subject to any statute of limitations, and they constitute a moral and legal responsibility that will remain until justice is served.