February 4th: A Chronicle of Killing and Destruction in the Crimes of Aggression Against Yemen
February 4th is added to the painful memory of Yemenis as another day that bears witness to the barbarity and systematic crimes of the American-Saudi-Emirati aggression. On this day, and throughout the years of aggression, the hand of treachery reached out to target civilians in their homes, fishermen in their boats, and vital infrastructure serving the people, in a clear strategy to destroy all aspects of life, leaving behind bloodshed, destruction, and tragic stories that will never be forgotten.
2016: Destruction of Homes and Bridges
On February 4, 2016, the aggression’s warplanes committed a horrific crime in the Haradh district of Hajjah Governorate, targeting a house with an airstrike that resulted in the martyrdom of four civilians. Not content with this, they also deliberately destroyed the vital Al-Huquf Bridge between the districts of Hayran and Mustaba, in a direct attack on infrastructure aimed at isolating the region.
In Saada, airstrikes destroyed three homes in the Haydan district and severely damaged neighboring houses, coinciding with Saudi missile attacks on various areas within the district. Aircraft also launched raids on residential and agricultural areas in the Sanhan, Khawlan, and Nihm districts of Sana’a Governorate.
2017: Targeting Fishermen and Food Warehouses
On February 4, 2017, the brutality of the aggression was demonstrated by the direct targeting of civilians’ livelihoods. A fisherman was killed and six others were wounded when their boats were bombed off Tarfa Island in Hodeidah Governorate.
In Taiz, the aggression revealed its intention to starve the population by targeting food warehouses in the Mocha district, in addition to bombing a gas station. Airstrikes also hit the educational complex in the Bart al-Marashi district of Al-Jawf Governorate, homes and farms in the Sirwah district of Ma’rib Governorate, and residential areas in the capital city and Sana’a Governorate.
2018: Criminal Investigation Department Massacre and Road Bombing
On February 4, 2018, a horrific massacre occurred in the heart of the capital, Sana’a, when the Saudi-led coalition warplanes targeted the crowded Criminal Investigation Department building, killing seven civilians, including a child, and injuring 58 others.
In Sa’dah, four civilians were injured in an airstrike that targeted a public road, underscoring the widespread disregard for civilian lives. The aggression continued with dozens of airstrikes on the districts of Haradh, Midi, and Hays, as well as border areas in Sa’dah, and intense Saudi missile and artillery shelling.
2019: Frenzied Bombing and Grave Violations in Hodeidah
On February 4, 2019, the Saudi-led coalition and its mercenaries intensified their attacks. A woman was injured when mercenary shells struck her home in Lahj. Hodeidah witnessed heavy shelling with artillery, missiles, and machine guns, targeting the airport, the vicinity of hospitals, and residential neighborhoods, in flagrant violation of the Stockholm Agreement.
In response, the Saudi-led coalition launched dozens of airstrikes across the governorates of Sana’a, Hajjah, Sa’dah, the capital Sana’a, Ma’rib, Taiz, Amran, and Al-Jawf, in a day of frenzied aerial escalation.
2020-2021: Continued Bombing and Deadly Remnants of Aggression
The aggression continued on February 4, 2020, and in 2021, coalition warplanes launched airstrikes on Al-Jawf and Sana’a, while mercenaries continued shelling residential areas in Hodeidah with heavy weapons and Katyusha rockets.
In 2021, a civilian was killed by Saudi missile and artillery shelling of populated villages in the Shada’a border district of Sa’dah. Airstrikes also destroyed civilian farms in the Al-Dhaher district, and violations continued in Hodeidah.
2022-2023: Border Crimes and Reconnaissance Airstrikes
On February 4, 2022, three civilians were killed and two others wounded by Saudi army machine gun fire in the Al-Raqw area of the Munabbih border district in Saada, in yet another crime added to the record of border atrocities. The area surrounding Sana’a International Airport and the Haradh district in Hajjah were also targeted by reconnaissance aircraft.
In 2023, the aggression intensified its use of reconnaissance aircraft, launching 11 raids on areas in Hodeidah. This coincided with the mercenaries establishing new fortifications and carrying out artillery shelling, confirming that while the tools of the crime may change, the aggression continues.
A Day That Reveals the Truth About the Aggression
February 4, through its bloody chapters over the years, reveals the true nature of the aggression as a comprehensive war that spared neither civilians nor service facilities. From homes to roads and bridges, from fishermen to farmers, the Yemeni people were the primary target. It is another day of resilience that Yemenis are writing with their blood, and a living witness to a crime that will not be forgotten with the passage of time.