[Salon] Saudi Airstrikes in Yemen Killed at Least 66 Civilians and Wounded 90 in September

Saudi Airstrikes in Yemen Killed at Least 66 Civilians and Wounded 90 in September

The US is supporting the airstrikes by refueling Saudi jets and providing intelligence

by Dave DeCamp

Saudi airstrikes in Yemen killed at least 66 civilians, including eight children, and wounded 90 throughout September, according to the Yemen Data Project (YDP), as the war has significantly escalated since it was reignited by Saudi airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport in July.

The deadliest single incident for civilians was the September 7 bombing of the Central Correction Prison in the northern al-Jawf province, where 35 civilians, including one child, were killed and seven were wounded when the facility was hit by a Saudi strike. Yemen’s Mine Action Center reported that its experts documented bomb fragments at the site and determined that the strike was carried out with a 2,000-pound US-made satellite-guided GBU-31 JDAM bomb.

Other significant incidents in September include the September 27 bombing of a market in the southwestern Taiz province, which killed seven civilians and wounded 40, including five children. On September 22, a Saudi strike hit a civilian home in the Red Sea port city of Mocha, killing six civilians, including a woman and two children.

The Saudi airstrikes are supported by the US, which is providing intelligence and targeting support. Amid the escalations in Yemen and the rapid gains by Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, the US has resumed refueling Saudi warplanes, which was previously suspended back in 2018 due to pressure from Congress, as the Saudi air campaign at the time was also taking an enormous toll on civilians.

The YDP said September marked the highest rate of civilian casualties in Saudi airstrikes in Yemen since January 2022, when Saudi airstrikes killed at least 155 civilians. The single worst incident in that month was the bombing of a migrant detention facility in Yemen’s northern Saada province, which killed 91 civilians. That same facility was bombed by the US during President Trump’s bombing campaign against Ansar Allah last year, which killed 68 civilians, a massacre the Pentagon has acknowledged.

The war in Yemen has continued to escalate in October, and there have been more civilian casualties in Saudi strikes. Ansar Allah attacks on Saudi airports have also inflicted civilian casualties, with at least 12 people killed by a strike on the King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, according to Saudi authorities.