Saudi- Led Airstrikes cause Massacre at Funeral in Yemen

On Saturday October 8,2016 fighter jets of Saudi-let coalition repeatedly bombed the reception hall of a building where mourners had gathered after a funeral. Tamim al-Shami, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, said at least 104 people had been killed and 550 wounded. There were many children among the dead. He added that the death toll was likely to rise, as rescuers were still working to remove bodies from the rubble. “There are charred bodies, and some were cut to shreds and couldn’t be identified,” Mr. Shami said. The final number of those killed was 140.

The strikes destroyed the hall and so overwhelmed the city’s hospitals and that the Health Ministry broadcasted pleas on the radio stations to summon off-duty doctors to help. Responding to Saudi denial, Jamie McGoldrick, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, in a statement, blamed airstrikes for the destruction and said he was “shocked and outraged.” Others shared videos on social media that appeared to show a strike from the air.

“Some of the people who were taken out of the hall were headless,” said Muhammad al-Hadrami, who lives near the hall and rushed there soon after the strikes. Others had “smashed legs,” he said.

More then 9,000 people have been killed, and many Yemenis have been pushed toward famine while extremist groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State have taken advantage of the chaos to step up their operations.

When this subject of ugly bombings carried out by Saudi Arabia and its cronies on a poor country and defenseless people of Yemen, is brought for discussion those Arab Sunnis who are hateful of Shias will immediately respond “Look how Iran is killing Sunnis in Syria”. It is sickening to hear Muslims justifying each other’s cruelties by blaming each other.

The United States has sold billions of dollars’ worth of military hardware and munitions to Saudi Arabia over the years and a new arms deal worth $1.15 billion was approved this year, despite efforts by members of Congress to block it. After repeating denials, Saudi Arabia finally admitted that its planes carried out the bombings.