February 2: A Day Etched in Yemen’s Blood-Stained Memory—Crimes of Aggression That Do Not Expire with Time

In the chronicle of Yemeni steadfastness, days do not pass as fleeting numbers; they transform into blood-soaked milestones and living testimony to a blatant aggression that made no distinction between stone and human life. February 2 is one such day, indelibly engraved in the nation’s memory, as the anniversary of heinous crimes committed over years by the U.S.–Saudi–Emirati coalition—cold-bloodedly targeting civilians in their homes, on roads, and in markets, leaving behind rivers of blood and vast destruction that tell the story of a resilient people who refuse to submit.

From Saada to Hodeidah, from Sana’a to Al-Jawf, the chapters of crime are strikingly similar and the identity of the executioner remains the same, rendering February 2 an eternal witness to the brutality of an aggression stripped of all human values.

2016: Systematic Targeting of Infrastructure and Life

From the outset of the war, February 2, 2016, exposed the coalition’s intent toward systematic destruction. In Dhamar Governorate, an airstrike on the security administration of Jabal al-Sharq District killed one civilian and wounded seven others.

In Sana’a, airstrikes hit the Ain al-Shaah Bridge in Nihm District, killing the child Shihab al-Hajil and nine others, and completely destroying the bridge. A civilian vehicle in Bani Shikwan was also targeted, resulting in the deaths of five civilians and damage to a nearby school. Saada was not spared internationally banned cluster munitions, as Razih District was targeted alongside intense missile and artillery shelling.

2017–2018: Roads and Markets Turned into Military Targets

The scene changed little in the following two years, as coalition aircraft continued to target anything civilian. On February 2, 2017, an airstrike hit Hays District in Hodeidah; seven strikes targeted Haradh and Midi districts in Hajjah; another struck Al-Sallou District in Taiz; and one targeted the city of Al-Rabwa in Asir.

In Al-Jawf Governorate, a treacherous airstrike targeted a Bedouin family in the As’har area of Bart al-Marashi District, killing one civilian, injuring three others, and burning their tents.

2019: A Bloody Day in Hajjah and Hodeidah

February 2, 2019 witnessed a bloody escalation in Hajjah and Hodeidah. In Hajjah, an airstrike on a civilian vehicle in Bakil al-Mir District injured three civilians, while eight others were wounded in a similar attack in the Al-Makhafi area of Mustaba District. In Hodeidah—then under relentless daily bombardment—a civilian was killed by mercenary shelling in the July 7 residential area. Homes in Al-Durayhimi city were targeted with artillery and guided missiles, and the Red Sea Mills and Hodeidah International Airport were also struck.

2020: Border Villages Under Fire

That year, shelling focused brutally on border areas. In Saada Governorate, Saudi missile and artillery fire targeted populated villages in the border district of Razih.

Coalition aircraft also carried out intensive airstrikes on Sana’a (six strikes on Nihm), Marib (five on Sirwah and Majzar), and Al-Jawf (two on Al-Matun and Khab wa al-Sha’af). In Hodeidah, coalition mercenaries continued their violations by shelling residential neighborhoods with more than 22 artillery and mortar rounds, and by destroying homes in Al-Tuhayta District.

2021: Treacherous Gunfire and Deadly Remnants

On February 2, 2021, a civilian was killed by Saudi border guards’ gunfire in the Al-Raqou area of Munabbih border district in Saada—another crime added to a long record of targeting civilians along the border. As airstrikes continued on Marib and Baqim, coalition mercenaries persisted in artillery shelling across parts of Hodeidah and established new military fortifications in blatant violation of the Stockholm Agreement.

2022: Systematic Targeting of Media and Communications

This day marked a qualitative shift in the coalition’s target bank, with direct attacks on media infrastructure. Coalition aircraft carried out four airstrikes on the old radio building in Al-Hasbah and one strike near the television building in the capital.

The telecommunications network in Bayhan District, Shabwah, was destroyed by three airstrikes. Simultaneously, heavy bombardment continued across Hajjah, Taiz, Abyan, Sana’a, Marib, and Al-Jawf with dozens of airstrikes.

2023: Artillery Fire and War Remnants Claim Lives

Even as the pace of airstrikes declined, the killing machine continued to claim Yemeni lives. On February 2, 2023, a civilian was killed and seven others wounded by Saudi artillery shelling on districts of Saada Governorate. In another equally horrific crime, a civilian was killed and another injured by the explosion of a war remnant in Hodeidah, whi