Sanaa Funeral for 44 Killed in Alleged Saudi Strike
A Sanaa funeral drew large crowds in the Yemeni capital on Wednesday, as mourners gathered for dozens of people killed in strikes blamed on Saudi Arabia, in one of the deadliest episodes of the renewed fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.
The Houthis said a Saudi strike on Saturday hit the village of al-Shariya, outside the capital, killing 44 people, including 21 children, and injuring 40 others.
Mourners prayed at the Mosque of the People, renamed by the Houthis after they took the capital, and chanted “Death to America! Death to Israel!” The bodies were then taken to al-Shariya for burial.
Sanaa funeral follows the al-Shariya strike
The Houthis said the strike hit six homes in al-Shariya, a village east of Sanaa in the Bani Hushaysh district. The group’s Almasirah television reported another strike as emergency personnel headed to the site to dig out survivors. AFP said it could not verify that claim. Dawn carried the AFP report on Thursday.
The casualty figures come from the Houthis and have not been independently confirmed. CNN, citing the Houthi-run Saba news agency, reported at least 43 dead, including 21 children and 10 women.
They are among the latest casualties of fighting that resumed over the summer, which the UN says has killed more than 1,600 people and displaced over 300,000 in Yemen.
Missiles in both directions
The funeral came on a day of strikes in both directions. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted three Houthi cruise missiles headed for Riyadh on Wednesday, for the second day running.
Meanwhile, Yemeni security sources reported Houthi strikes late on Wednesday in Aden, the seat of the country’s internationally recognised government, saying they had targeted camps belonging to forces fighting the Houthis.
The Houthi armed forces said on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia had carried out 93 airstrikes and missile attacks in the previous 24 hours. The Houthi-run Health Ministry put the toll from the latest escalation at 359 civilians killed and 780 wounded, figures CNN said it had not verified.
The Houthis have also reported frequent Saudi airstrikes, with 26 people killed in Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia since hostilities resumed.
Why it matters for Pakistan
The fighting matters to Pakistan for two reasons. First, the Saudi-led coalition’s war with the Houthis has repeatedly reached Riyadh airport, and Pakistan has already condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia at the UN Security Council. Riyadh airport was struck again in October, with a fire at Terminal 4.
Second, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a defence pact this year, the Makkah pact, which commits each side to treat an attack on one as an attack on both. Erdogan has said the Makkah pact strengthened solidarity with Pakistan, and the airport closure was extended after further strikes.
That pact is why a funeral in Sanaa is read in Islamabad as well as in Riyadh. Any escalation that threatens Saudi cities raises the question of what Pakistan’s commitment means in practice, even though Islamabad has stressed a defensive reading of the agreement.
On Wednesday, the Houthi-controlled parliament appealed to UN chief Antonio Guterres to intervene, claiming hundreds of Saudi airstrikes over five days had killed or wounded more than 300 people, mostly children, women and the elderly.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were killed in the al-Shariya strike?
The Houthis said 44 people, including 21 children, were killed and 40 injured when a strike hit the village of al-Shariya outside Sanaa on Saturday. The figures have not been independently verified.
When was the funeral held?
On Wednesday, November 11, in Sanaa. Mourners prayed at the Mosque of the People and then carried the bodies to al-Shariya for burial.
What did Saudi Arabia say about the strikes?
The Saudi-led coalition did not comment on the al-Shariya strike in the Dawn report. It said its air defences intercepted three Houthi cruise missiles launched towards Riyadh on Wednesday, for the second day running.
How many people has the renewed fighting killed?
The UN says more than 1,600 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced since fighting resumed over the summer.
Why does the Yemen war matter to Pakistan?
Pakistan has a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and has condemned Houthi attacks at the UN. Strikes on Riyadh airport have already drawn Pakistani statements, so escalation in Yemen is watched in Islamabad.
