December 18: A Date When Wounds Are Renewed and the Brutality of the U.S.–Saudi–Emirati Aggression Is Laid Bare
December 18 does not pass in Yemeni memory as a mere date on the calendar. Rather, it stands as a bleeding gash in the record of the U.S.–Saudi–Emirati aggression—a day on which massacres were repeated, methods of killing diversified, and the scope of targeting expanded to encompass people, land, and infrastructure alike, in a scene that reflects the criminal nature of a war waged with no regard for law or humanitarian values.
Throughout the years of aggression, this date has remained a witness to a systematic, bloody approach that targeted civilians, leaving dozens dead and wounded and causing widespread destruction across multiple Yemeni governorates.
December 18, 2015: Massacres Against Civilians and Direct Targeting of Homes and Medics
On December 18, 2015, coalition aircraft committed one of their most heinous crimes in Saada Governorate, where 23 civilians—including women and children—were killed and five others injured as a result of two airstrikes targeting the home of Abdullah Al-Mutari and ambulance crews in the Kanna area of Al-Safra District. The attack embodied the deliberate targeting of civilians and medical personnel.
At the same time, the Saudi army shelled various areas in Razih and Ghamr districts with missiles and artillery, striking farms, roads, and civilian property. Coalition aircraft also launched airstrikes on the city of Al-Rabwa in Asir, Wadi Al-Halileen, and Al-Jadaan area in Marib, alongside rocket and artillery attacks by mercenaries on Sarwah District.
The assaults extended to Hajjah, Taiz, and Sana’a governorates, where Haradh District, Jabal Al-Ala in Al-Hawban, Al-Omari area in Dhubab, Mokha, Al-Tiyal, and other locations were subjected to a series of airstrikes that caused extensive damage to homes and agricultural land—underscoring the breadth and comprehensiveness of the targeting.
December 18, 2016: Targeting Workers, Farms, and Communications Networks
On this day in 2016, a new escalation unfolded. A woman and her two children were injured when mercenaries shelled homes in Hayfan District, Taiz, while a civilian was killed by a sniper in Sabir Al-Mawadim.
In Sana’a Governorate, one civilian was killed and five others injured in airstrikes that targeted stone-quarry workers in Nihm, destroying trucks and property, alongside additional strikes on Hamdan and Bani Matar. Coalition aircraft continued their crimes in Saada, striking Razih, Sahar, Munabbih, Kahlan, Dahyan, and Al-Buqa, resulting in further casualties and severe damage to farms and property.
In Amran, seven airstrikes destroyed the telecommunications network in Thula District, in a direct attack on civilian infrastructure. Airstrikes and shelling also hit Hajjah, Al-Hudaydah, Al-Dhalea, and Marib, confirming the comprehensive nature of the war on Yemen.
December 18, 2017: Targeting Public Roads and Coastal Areas
On December 18, 2017, eight civilians were killed in an airstrike that targeted a vehicle on the main road in Wadi Khair, Bayhan District, Shabwa Governorate—another crime against civilian travelers. Five civilians were also killed and ten injured in an airstrike on Al-Tafsa area in Al-Khokha District, Al-Hudaydah Governorate.
Sana’a, Hajjah, Marib, and Saada witnessed intensive airstrikes, alongside attacks extending to areas inside Saudi territory in Jizan and Najran, reflecting an expansion of the theater of operations and intensified aerial bombardment.
December 18, 2018: Escalation in Al-Hudaydah and Targeting of Residential Neighborhoods
That year, one civilian was killed and seven others injured as mercenaries shelled residential neighborhoods along 50th Street in Al-Hudaydah city. The city and its surroundings were subjected to heavy shelling with guided missiles, artillery, and heavy machine guns. Hotels, homes, and villages were targeted, while military fortifications were established within civilian neighborhoods.
December 18, 2019: War Remnants Continue to Claim Victims
On this day, a civilian was injured by the explosion of a cluster munition left behind by the aggression in Al-Tuhayta, Al-Hudaydah, highlighting the enduring danger even after direct bombardment ceased. Mercenaries continued heavy shelling of Al-Fazah, Bayt Al-Faqih, Hays, and Al-Durayhimi, causing extensive damage to homes and farms, alongside Saudi shelling of populated villages in Razih, Saada.
December 18, 2020: Border Shelling and Continued Targeting of Civilians
On December 18, 2020, one civilian was killed and significant property damage occurred as a result of direct Saudi shelling of Shada border district. Razih was subjected to similar shelling that hit farms and homes. Coalition aircraft also carried out airstrikes on Haradh in Hajjah and Majazah in Asir, amid a major escalation in Al-Hudaydah involving artillery shelling and reconn