Yemen Conflict Updates and Analysis

Back to developments in Yemen, with me from Sana'a

is journalist Hussein Nasser al-Bukhaiti.

Mr. Hussein, welcome. Ansar Allah

announced that the Saudi-led coalition forces

launched several airstrikes on

the capital, Sana'a, where you are. Can you

give us more details?

Yes, in the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A number of airstrikes were launched,

one of which targeted a house in the Asir area

west of Sana'a, killing three children from one

family and injuring the wife, and destroying the house

completely. A cement factory was also targeted

in the Hamdan area of Sana'a, and this led

to casualties. The workers' residential area was targeted,

which is home to ten families of

workers employed at that factory, and this led to

the deaths of eight civilians, most of them women and children,

and injured several others. Some are still under the rubble.

Yes, Ansar Allah also responded.

by targeting a naval base

and a camp in, uh, Aden, the

temporary capital of the Yemeni government? Why

do the Houthis keep targeting the city of Aden

and the camps located there?

In fact, my dear sister, the response was there, a larger operation targeted the Saudi interior

and the Yanbu oil port, as well as—

I will get to the Saudi interior shortly. I will get to the Saudi interior

shortly.

Yes, the response was in Saudi Arabia, but also, regarding Aden, my dear sister,

the Yemeni army here, or what they call the Ansar Allah group, announced that all

military bases in Yemen, especially in southern and eastern occupied Yemen, if there are

any troop buildups, reinforcements, or military deployments,

or the presence of Saudi officers or others, are subject to

targeting. That is, if the base remained as it was, with the soldiers

who

were in it, and there were no buildups inside it, this means that Yemen

did not target those bases. And we note that it did not—

But journalists have provided no evidence that Saudi soldiers

are present at those bases in Aden

so far.

It is not only that, my dear sister. It is not only necessary for there to be Saudi soldiers if

there are new mobilizations, training, or reinforcements from

which they will be moved, uh, in the coming

days to the combat zone, meaning to fight the Yemeni army.

And in particular, I just want to clarify an important point, my sister, that

Sana'a did not carry out or begin targeting any mobilizations or

camps in southern and eastern Yemen, in Aden or elsewhere, unless

the Giants Forces or forces coming from those

areas began to attack and attempted to attack Bab al-Mandab or

the mountainous area of Kahbub, which the Yemeni army controls.

Therefore, they did not carry out any targeting. They always respond to sources

of fire, whether it is a direct attack or military mobilizations.

And this, my dear sister, I believe is legitimate in any war.

We are not on a picnic now, and they are not gathering there

The camps are for, um, practicing

tr-training, drawing, or anything. They go to

those camps and gather in order to comply with the Yemeni army

in Sana'a on one of the confrontation fronts.

Now Saudi Arabia accuses you of targeting Mecca

and Medina, the two holy cities in

Saudi Arabia, by intercepting two missiles

launched by the Houthis. Um, and the debris,

according to Saudi Arabia, reached, um, these

two cities. This is not the first time.

How do you respond?

Um, my dear sister, first of all, these are lies. Think about it.

Anyone listening to me now, what benefit would we gain from

targeting Mecca or Medina? It would only, I mean, lead to the destruction of

Ansar Allah and their reputation, and it would turn the Yemenis against them.

I would be the first person, if I knew now, and I'm sure they

had targeted Mecca or Medina, to take up arms

against them. But, my dear sister, we see the lies—

But the Houthis have also targeted

civilian facilities before.

Like, uh, airports.

Not to talk about airports. They have announced it, and they are brave enough to announce what they target.

Here in Sana'a, regarding what they said about targeting Mecca.

They showed pictures to prove, prove their lies in

the pictures they showed. What they showed, if it is real, is

missile debris, not shrapnel. It is debris from one of the engines

of one of the missiles, if what they are saying is true.

But if, uh, you noticed that picture, then the ballistic missile

has several engines, and they separate when it is launched, at

a distance and in the air. What they showed, or the picture, was in

an area approximately 30 miles from,

M-Mecca, 30 miles or 30 kilometers, according to what they said.

Meaning, it was a distant area. It was not a missile they shot down or shrapnel.

It was a missile engine that fell in a distant place while

heading either to Yanbu or to, to, to

uh, Riyadh or one of the regions. Because it is impossible

to target Mecca. This is common sense, because Mecca is our Qibla.

It is the first of the two holy mosques, and Medina is the second.

Is it conceivable that Sana'a and Ansar Allah, who defended the third holiest sanctuary

and confronted America and the Zionist entity for Palestine, for

Gaza, for Jerusalem, would target the first of the two holy mosques

and the second, in Mecca and Medina? This, my dear sister, is how they are trying

to win the world's sympathy, and this proves the extent

of the severe weakness Saudi Arabia has shown, in reality.

I mean, it is regrettable and shameful at the same time.

Thank you. From Sana'a, journalist Hussein Nasser

al-Bukhaiti. Thank you very much.