Two Yemeni fishermen killed in Eritrean navy attack

HODEIDA, May 20 (YPA) – Two Yemeni fishermen were killed and a third was injured on Tuesday after being targeted by the Eritrean Navy while fishing in Yemeni territorial waters in the Red Sea.

This was a new crime that added to the record of repeated violations against fishermen.

The bodies of the two victims and the injured man arrived earlier in the day at the fishing port in Hodeida province, where they were received by a number of officials and the families of the victims, who expressed their strong condemnation of this heinous crime that Eritrean Navy committed against the fishermen.

Aziz Atini, Director General of Ports and Centers at the Red Sea Fisheries Authority, explained that the Eritrean Navy’s actions posted a flagrant violation of Yemeni sovereignty and a full-fledged crime, amid unjustified international silence.

A number of surviving fishermen reported that an Eritrean patrol opened direct fire on a “Jalba” boat carrying 31 fishermen, killing two of them and wounding another. They were then taken to Eritrean waters and detained for hours.

They indicated that the shooting was carried out using a Viper-machine gun on boat, causing significant damage to the boat and its engines. Their fishing equipment were also confiscated.

The Fisheries Authority called on the relevant authorities and human rights organizations to take urgent action to condemn this crime and protect Yemeni fishermen from repeated attacks and violations within Yemeni waters.

AA