UN calls for investigation into US airstrike on Yemen’s Saada prison

LONDON, oct. 29 (YPA) – Amnesty International called on Wednesday for an investigation into a US airstrike in April that killed more than 70 African migrants in a prison in Saada province, north of Yemen, describing it as a “war crime.”

The attack was part of a campaign of intensified airstrikes on Yemen launched after US President Donald Trump took office, resulting in dozens of deaths, including women and children, the destruction of residential buildings, and power outages in some areas.

The US Central Command has yet to offer any explanation for the airstrike on the prison, which was previously targeted in 2022 by the Saudi-led coalition.

Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said, “We take all reports of civilian casualties very seriously.” Following the airstrike, the wreckage of two small, 250-pound GBU-39 precision-guided bombs, used by the U.S. military, was displayed, according to Amnesty International.

Survivors were interviewed by Amnesty International, all Ethiopian migrants who had been detained while trying to reach Saudi Arabia, told the human rights organization that they did not see any Houthi fighters inside the building.

Amnesty International noted that the airstrike appeared to be an “indiscriminate attack,” concluding that there was no clear military target.

International law prohibits bombing sites such as hospitals and prisons unless they are being used to plan attacks or store weapons. Even then, all precautions must be taken to avoid harming civilians.

The U.S.-Israeli aggression has launched hundreds of airstrikes on Yemen to deter it from supporting Gaza. This included the destruction of civilian facilities and infrastructure in several provinces, and the killing and the injury of hundreds of civilians, including the bombing of Saada prison, which houses hundreds of migrants.

AA