Rada’a joins the list of locations victimized by “house bombings”

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In central Yemen’s Al-Bayda governorate, the security forces affiliated with the Houthi group have come under scrutiny for demolishing citizens’ homes

This action is particularly concerning given that their mandate is to ensure security, stability, and safeguard the well-being of the public

According to a local source who spoke to “Almushahid

net” on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, the demolition of homes in Rada’a was triggered by the unresolved murder of a member of the Al-Zailai family one year ago

The murder was committed by the brother of the area’s deputy security supervisor, known by his nom de guerre “Abu Hussein”

The Al-Zailai family has been calling for justice and the prosecution of their son’s killers through legal or tribal resolution, but the case remains unresolved

Moreover, calls for justice fell on deaf ears, leading to a retaliatory killing by the victim’s brother, who killed the brother to the Deputy security supervisor on the evening of Monday, March 18

The following morning, Tuesday, March 19, Houthi security forces arrived in the “Al-Hafrah” neighborhood in military vehicles and proceeded to plant explosives and demolish the homes of the Al-Zailai and Al- Naqous families

The ensuing blasts triggered the collapse of five neighboring houses, demonstrating a callous disregard for the safety of women and children, according to the source

The source clarified that the victims were from neighboring houses that collapsed as a result of the explosion

The blast killed 9 people and injured 5 others from a single family

An additional 4 others were injured

  Furthermore, 4 members of the marginalized community were killed, and a  number of people  were injured by a drone shell while residents of the area were gathered

The source indicated that all of the victims were transported to Dhamar Governorate

Residents of Rada’a awoke to the deafening sound of an explosion that rocked their city

Rushing to the scene, they were met with a devastating sight: homes reduced to rubble

The incident sparked outrage among Yemenis and the public, fueled by the “horrific” images and footage circulating on social media platforms

Just hours after the attack on the Al-Naqous and Al-Zailai families, Rada’a city witnessed a surge of angry protests condemning the Houthi group’s actions in the Al-Hafrah neighborhood

The demolitions left more than 30 people dead or injured, the majority of whom were women and children

Activists, human rights defenders, and journalists took to social media platforms to condemn the atrocity, describing it as a “bloodbath of women and children

” They recounted how the perpetrator, while these innocent victims lay sleeping, planted explosives and detonated the homes, before celebrating his heinous crime and chanting “Death to America

”Following the Houthi followers celebration of the Rada’a home demolitions, the Houthi group issued an official statement acknowledging their actions

Abdulkhaliq Al-Ajri the group’s Interior Ministry spokesman, attempted to justify the incident, stating: “The incident occurred due to a mistake by some security personnel during a security operation to pursue saboteurs who had attacked security personnel earlier

Some individuals, in an irresponsible and unlawful reaction, used excessive force without authorization from the security command or the knowledge of the Ministry of Interior

”However, activists on social media platform “X” vehemently rejected this explanation

They pointed out that the Houthi group’s claim of an “individual mistake” was contradicted by the fact that the operation involved an engineering team equipped with demolition tools, specifically tasked with planting explosives around the homes of the Al-Naqous and Al-Zailai families and detonating them

 The activists denounced the statement as an opportunistic justification aimed at misleading public opinion and scapegoating a few members of the group in Rada’a to appease public anger and conceal the involvement of the Houthi leadership in this heinous crime

They emphasized that the incident was a “clear crime” that required no justification

They described the Houthi group as notorious for its destructive acts, stating that this incident was neither the first nor the last, but rather part of a pattern of thousands of violations against the Yemeni people, employed as a deliberate strategy to instill fear among the population

Human rights organizations have documented the group’s demolition of 900 homes, including 120 in Rada’a, the latest of which was the demolition of Al-Zailai and Al-Naqous families

Political analyst Abdulwasea Al-Fatiki stated that the group’s bombing of civilian homes with families still inside, resulting in the deaths and injuries of women, children, and elderly people, is not an isolated incident

He described it as yet another massacre in a series of atrocities

 Speaking to “Almushahid

net“, he said:  “Up to this point, the Houthi group persists in perpetrating atrocious acts of violence, particularly targeting civilians, exemplified by the demolition and bombing of homes while residents are still inside

” Al-Fatiki noted how Houthi leaders create false justifications, revealing their complete disregard for Yemeni lives and their readiness to commit further atrocities

Al-Fatiki referenced a tweet by Houthi leader Hussein Al-Azzi regarding the events in the “Al-Hafrah” neighborhood, wherein Al-Azzi characterized the incident as merely an isolated mistake committed by a soldier driven by anger over the loss of his comrade

Additionally, Al-Fatiki noted that certain individuals attributed the occurrence to the actions of an infiltrator within their ranks

Some activists and supporters of this group went so far as to deny the massacre, describing it as a fabrication aimed at undermining the victories made by the group’s militias in support of Gaza, according to Al-Fatiki

  “There is nothing more egregious than committing a crime and then attempting to justify it with flimsy excuses, a practice to which the group has become accustomed, displaying a blatant disregard for Yemeni lives,” he added

“Moreover, their hasty announcement of compensation committees for the victims and their families only serves to underscore their intent to shield all members responsible for bloodshed from any form of accountability or punishment

This mirrors the impunity granted to Israeli soldiers who commit crimes and violations against Palestinians

”Al-Fatiki further underscored that the atrocities committed by the Houthis against Yemenis have escalated to a level comparable to the crimes and massacres perpetrated by the Israeli occupation in Palestine

 He further noted that there is no documented instance of Zionist forces demolishing and destroying houses over the heads of their inhabitants, including women and children, while celebrating and gloating, as the Houthis have done, and even worse

Al-Fatiki concluded his remarks by asserting that the events unfolding in the Al-Hafrah neighborhood of Rada’a serve as irrefutable evidence of the group’s relentless pursuit of violence, despite their professed adherence to religion, which remains untainted by their actions

He emphasized that this group remains devoid of any inclination toward peace, cautioning against the international community’s attempts to coax Yemenis into reconciliation with a group that persists in perpetrating massacres and crimes

Al-Fatiki warned that such endeavors would surrender the fate of Yemenis to this group, enabling their embrace of a bloody and destructive agenda that threatens not only the present and future of Yemen but also the stability and security of its people and neighboring nations, and poses a threat to regional and international peace and security

 This story was first published in Arabic on 23 March 2024ليصلك كل جديدالإعلاميون في خطرمشاورات السلام كشف التضليل التحقيقات التقارير