Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Rocket kills 7 Civilians in Saudi as Asiri Accuses Houthis of Rearming | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page
Media ID: 55342710
Caption:

Saudi Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri briefs reporters at the Riyadh Air Base, Saudi Arabia, on March 30, 2015. (SPA)


Najran, Riyadh-Seven Saudis and residents were killed in the southern Saudi city of Najran on Tuesday in a cross-border shelling from Yemen, after accusations were made by international organizations against the Arab coalition of targeting civilians in Yemen.

The rocket fired from Yemeni territories “killed four citizens and three residents,” the civil defense spokesman in Najran city, Ali al-Shahrani, said.

The coalition began its campaign in March last year in support of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi against Houthi insurgents.

The coalition resumed raids on August 9, almost three days after talks in Kuwait were suspended.

The coalition’s spokesman accused the Houthi insurgents of using the three months of negotiations to rearm.

“They were deceiving people by this negotiation, to re-organize their force, re-supplying their forces and getting back to fighting,” Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri said.

He told Agence France Presse that the coalition would do “whatever it takes” to restore security in Yemen.

Meanwhile, a Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT), composed of members of the coalition, said it “has urgently launched an independent investigation” into reports of a coalition strike on a hospital in Yemen’s northern province of Hajja.

It also promised to announce its findings.