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Bombing of Mokha

Coordinates: 13°20′56″N 43°15′04″E / 13.349°N 43.251°E / 13.349; 43.251
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Bombing of Mokha
Mokha is located in Yemen
Mokha
Mokha
Mokha (Yemen)
DateJuly 24, 2015 (2015-07-24)
Duration0:30:00
LocationMokha, Yemen
Coordinates13°20′56″N 43°15′04″E / 13.349°N 43.251°E / 13.349; 43.251
Typeairstrike
TargetCivilian residential compounds of Mokha power plant
Casualties
65 - 120 dead[1] (including 10 children[2])
150 injured
AccusedSaudi Arabian led coalition

The Bombing of Mokha took place on Friday night, 24 July 2015 between 9:30 and 10:00 p.m at Mokha city of Yemen,[3] a city on the coast of Red Sea where the population is largely fishermen.[4] The airstrikes targeted two residential complexes belonging to engineers and technicians of al-Mukha power plant of Taiz province.[5][6][3] The attack left 65-120 dead[1] including 10 children.[2] According to the workers and residents of the compound one or more aircraft dropped nine bombs in separate sorties in intervals of few minutes.[3] The UN said that at least 36 buildings, including schools, hospitals, court houses, communications institutions and power generation facilities were damaged partially or completely.

Mokha was known as one of the safest cities in Yemen during the war.[4] The attack was described as one the deadliest attacks by the Saudi Arabia against Yemen.[7] It was condemned by Human Rights Watch after it investigated the scene one day after the attack saying that the airstrike was unlawful while there was "no evident military target."[8] Yemeni officials speaking on the condition of anonymity said that the distance between the attacked buildings and the closest Houthi outpost was about three miles. A military official stated that "incorrect coordinates" were given to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition.[4]

Background

Main articles: Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) and Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen

On Thursday, 26 March 2015, Saudi Arabia led a coalition of nine Arab states in carrying out airstrikes in Yemen.[9] The intervention as claimed began in response to request for assistance from the then President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.[10] He immediately left the country for Saudi Arabia as the military intervention of the coalition started.[11]

The Saudi-led coalition has performed military operations against Houthi militia, and loyalists of Ali Abdullah Saleh, former Yemeni president.[9]

The UN said that "since 26 March 2015, at least 1,693 civilians have been killed in the Yemen fighting and 3,829 wounded. "Since 17 June, there has been further destruction of civilian infrastructure, with at least 36 buildings, including hospitals, schools, court houses, power generation facilities and communications institutions partially or totally damaged,” said a statement by UN human rights office.[4] The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that "under international humanitarian law, all countries and parties involved in conflict must distinguish between military and civilian objects, and uphold the principles of proportionality and precaution."[2]

Bombing

The airstrike hit the residential area in dedicated to the plant workers.[10] Two compounds at the Mokha steam power plant in was hit by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes.[11]

Many of the workers had relatives there who had traveled for the Eid al-Fitr celebration, which was held on 18 July 2015 and marked the end of Ramadan.[10] According to the security officials and eyewitnesses, the strikes in the area continued on Saturday while dozens of families fled the area.[4]

Casualties

Reports of casualties vary and range from "65 dead and dozens wounded" according to Human Rights Watch to "120 dead and 150 wounded" according to USA news.[1][12][13][7] The airstrike was criticized by Human Rights watch and various media outlets, as it targeted a residential complex.[3][14][15]

Videos posted on social media appeared to show terrified bystanders rushing for shelter during the attack on the attack night, as well as a significant number of people killed and seriously injured afterward.[8] The officials said the attack razed some of the buildings.[4]

Aftermath

The attack increased worries that Saudi military operations are starting to target people as well as military targets. According to Yemeni officials, the distance between the struck block and the closest Houthi outpost is about three miles.[10] By 2016, it was labeled as the deadliest attack by the Saudi campaign.[7] Human Rights Watch stated that the airstrike was a war crime.[16][8][17] Ole Solvang, then HRW's senior emergencies said:[8]

"Again and again, we see coalition airstrikes killing large numbers of civilians, but no signs of any investigation into possible violations."

The statement said that "with no evident military target, this attack appears to be a war crime."[2] HRW stated that it had visited the incident on Sunday and did not find any signs indicating that "the compounds were being used for military purposes."[8] According to the HRW report, two apartment complexes had their roofs partially collapsed as a result of direct bombing. Many of the flats' external walls were torn off by further explosives that detonated between the buildings, including in the main courtyard, "leaving only the load-bearing pillars standing."[18]

One neighbor who witnessed the scene after the attack compared the situation to a scene from "judgement day" saying that "corpses and heads" were spread around and "engulfed by fire and ashes." Another nearby resident told Amnesty International that the memories of passing by "pools of blood and severed limbs" of more than 20 victims still trouble him.[19]

According to plant employees, the military facility site that HRW identified 800 meters southeast of the company's main campus was actually a military air defense base. The staff at the plant said that it had been vacant for months.[8] A military official who spoke on state of anonymity said that "the coalition had been given incorrect coordinates" and that the coordinates had not come from "anyone in the district".[4]

Days after the hit, the Saudi-led coalition battling Houthi rebels in Yemen "announced a five-day humanitarian ceasefire". According to the statement by the Saudi state media, the ceasefire was made at the request of Abed Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to Saudi's King Salman.[10] Saudi-led coalition said it would respond to attacks or movements by Houthis or their allies. The previous ceasefire did not truly take hold since the two sides exchanged accusations.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Yemeni officials, witnesses: Saudi-led coalition airstrikes kill more than 120 in port city ", U.S. News, 24 July 2015
  2. ^ a b c d "Saudi-led raid on Yemen plant appears unlawful - Rights Watch". Reuters. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Yemen: Coalition Strikes on Residence Apparent War Crime",Human Rights Watch,27 July 2015
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Saudi Arabia-led coalition calls ceasefire in Yemen after air strike kills 120 people". the Guardian. 2015-07-26. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  5. ^ Ahmed Al-Haj and Merrit Kennedy "Saudi-led airstrikes kill 120; deadliest in Yemen conflict", Yahoo News, 25 July 2015
  6. ^ "120 killed as Saudi Regime commits fresh atrocities in Taiz Yemen" Archived 2015-08-01 at the Wayback Machine, Whatsupic, 29 July 2015
  7. ^ a b c "Saudi-led coalition airstrike hits Yemen funeral, killing over 140 people". CNBC. 2016-10-09. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Saudi-led raid on Yemen plant appears unlawful: Rights Watch". Reuters. 2015-07-28. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  9. ^ a b "Saudi warplanes bomb Houthi positions in Yemen". Al Arabiya. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Yemen ceasefire called by Saudi coalition just days after an airstrike killed 120 in Mokha ", The Independent, 26 July 2015
  11. ^ a b "Yemeni leader Hadi leaves country as Saudi Arabia keeps up air strikes". Reuters. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  12. ^ "Durable ceasefire needed as ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ leaves millions suffering in Yemen – UN relief chief ", UN News Centre, 28 July 2015
  13. ^ "Saudi-led warplanes hit Yemen's Taiz killing 80 ", Reuters,25 July 2015
  14. ^ "Over 65 Yemenis killed in Saudi-led coalition air raids ",LHV news, 29 July 2015
  15. ^ Sam Wilkin "Saudi-led raid on Yemen plant appears unlawful-Rights Watch",Euronews, 28 July 2015
  16. ^ "Saudi-led coalition violated laws-of-war in Yemen, says Human Rights Watch". Airforce Technology. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  17. ^ "UN: Almost 1,900 civilians killed in Yemen conflict". america.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  18. ^ "Saudi Arabia-led coalition airstrikes on Mokha is a war crime: HRW". www.saba.ye. 2015-07-28. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  19. ^ "'Nowhere safe for civilians': Airstrikes and ground attacks in Yemen". reliefweb.int. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
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