12th May 2015, 60 dead 155 injured when UNESCO historical town of Zabid in Yemen bombed by Saudi led coalition

On the 12th May 2015, the Saudi led coalition bombed the historical town of Zabid in Hodeidah governorate of Yemen, which is listed by UNESCO as an 'outstanding archaeological and historical site' at risk. The Legal Center for Rights and Development list 60 dead (inc13 women and 8 children) and 155 injured as a result of the bombardment.

Sites damaged or destroyed  included public buildings, a public highway, a busy market place, a sweet shop, restaurants, grocery stores and a residential area next to a historical mosque. The strike on the marketplace was documented as a double tap strike where jets returned to strike the rescuers.

This is HRW's report of the incident:

At about 4:15 p.m. on May 12, aircraft dropped at least five bombs on the Houthi-controlled town of Zabid, 96 kilometers (0.6 miles) south of the western port city of Hodaida, killing at least 60 civilians, including 13 women and eight children, and wounding at least 155.

Human Rights Watch examined the site on July 26. Three of the bombs had struck a three-story building in the middle of the Shagia market. The first bomb struck a sweets shop in the building. The second strike, which witnesses said took place about five minutes later, hit a restaurant on the building’s ground floor. The third struck the building’s second floor, causing the structure to collapse. The force of the blasts also destroyed two other buildings housing another restaurant and four grocery stores.

Abdu Ahmed Thayfi, 36, a qat seller at the Shagia market, was injured in the second strike:

"I heard the first strike, and then a few minutes later, the second. I felt as if everything was spinning around me, and then it went black. I woke up and saw the muscle of my left leg torn open. My right leg bone was snapped in half. My brother Muhammad suddenly appeared and wanted to take me to the hospital, but I refused to go, because I knew they would want to amputate my leg."

Thayfi ended up having a bone transplant in his left leg and avoided an amputation.

Abdullah Amin al-Dhabi, 34, a local freelance editor, told Human Rights Watch that after hearing the explosion, he rushed to the market to find his cousin, a qat seller there:

"I saw at least 50 limbs ripped apart from the fragments of the explosion. I also saw other bodies of people I could recognize in front of the Shagia restaurant. There I saw my cousin, next to the bodies of three other people I knew: two of them were kids under the age of 12, another was a woman who used to sell bread by the door of the restaurant. Days later, we heard that neighbors were still finding the hands and heads of other victims on their roofs and their shops. The whole area stank."

Dr. Faisal Awad, chairman of the Zabid Relief Society, which led efforts to identify the dead, told Human Rights Watch that the authorities gathered 66 unidentified body parts from the marketplace.

At the same time as the strikes hit Shagia market, two bombs fell on a lemon grove about 600 meters (656 yards) from the market, and about 50 meters (54 yards) from the entrance to the home of Ahmed Bagesh, the owner of one of the restaurants destroyed in the market attack, killing nine civilians, including two women and four children. Three witnesses said that one of the two bombs did not explode, and that Houthi fighters came soon after the incident and removed the munition.

Bagesh told Human Rights Watch:

"Just as I heard the strikes on the marketplace, there were also two strikes right outside our doorway. My sister’s husband had just left our house—he had been over for a visit—and when I ran out, I found the top half of his body lying on the path by the door. The bottom half had been blown about 10 meters away."

Thabit Hamdain, 55, a qat seller at the Shagia market, told Human Rights Watch that a large public-sector textile factory about one kilometer (0.6 miles) from the market had been producing military uniforms for the Houthis, and said he suspected this was the target of the airstrike. The factory was unaffected by the airstrikes and had not been subsequently targeted by the time Human Rights Watch visited Zabid on July 26.

Hamdain noted that the day before the airstrike he recognized three mid-level Houthi commanders eating lunch in one of the restaurants in the market. Bagash, the restaurant owner, said that Houthi fighters often came to the market to buy qat and to eat at the restaurants, but they did not “hang around.” He also said there were no Houthi checkpoints near the market.

The presence of small numbers of Houthi military personnel at the market would not make the entire market a legitimate target for a bombing attack. A factory producing uniforms or others goods for the military would be a valid military target, but the workers inside would not be considered civilians directly participating in the hostilities. The coalition should conduct an investigation to determine whether the attack was unlawfully indiscriminate, whether an attack on the factory during working hours was disproportionate, and whether all feasible precautions had been taken to minimize civilian casualties.

Location: Zabid
Date: 5/12/2015

Name	Gender	Age	Killed/Wounded
Ahmed Sulaiman Olian	Male	over 18	Killed
Khalil Abdu Sulaiman al-Mizgagi	Male	35	Killed
Amar Muhammad Amin al-Ahdal	Male	over 18	Killed
Bunian Ahmad Sawlah	Female	over 18	Killed
Abd al-Aziz Salem Omar Orouq	Male	30	Killed
Thabit Ahmad Qaderi	Male	over 18	Killed
Ibrahim Ahmad Hiba Makbuli	Male	over 18	Killed
Abdu Ahmad Dar	Male	over 18	Killed
Abdu Yusif Taher Marzouqi	Male	over 18	Killed
Muhammad Dawud Hakim	Male	over 18	Killed
Muhammad Izzi Abdullah Rukbi	Male	over 18	Killed
Mansour Muhammad Abdullah Mawqri	Male	over 18	Killed
Noaman Hassan Ragab	Male	over 18	Killed
Ahmed Ali Muftah Askri	Male	over 18	Killed
Ahmad Muhammad Awad Makbuli	Male	over 18	Killed
Aiman Muhammad Hassan Rami	Male	over 18	Killed
Gumala Ayash Said Derein (Uzaiti)	Female	over 18	Killed
Hassan Yahya Ismail Murahal	Male	over 18	Killed
Faisal Muharam Salman al-Shamiri	Male	over 18	Killed
Muhammad Anwar Futaini Wisabi	Male	over 18	Killed
Murad Muhammad Adam Haddi	Male	over 18	Killed
Wafa Yahya Salem Mauda Kabah	Female	over 18	Killed
Abdullah Abd al-Aziz Salem Qirshi (Orouk)	Male	3	Killed
Abdullah Abdullah Ridwan	Male	over 18	Killed
Ismail Dawud Sulaiman al-Ahdal	Male	over 18	Killed
Akram Abd al-Hamid al-Qubati	Male	30	Killed
al-Raimi al-Shaibah	Male	over 18	Killed
Bashar Hawash Daoud al-Wisabi	Male	12	Killed
BashIr Ghalib Mahdi al-Shamiri	Male	22	Killed
Bayan Ahmad Sawlah	Female	over 18	Killed
Gawad Muhammad Qaid al-Wisabi	Male	over 18	Killed
Husam Saif al-Qubati	Male	over 18	Killed
Hamoudah Wajih	Female	over 18	Killed
Salah Yahya Muhammad Ali	Male	over 18	Killed
Abd al-Hakim Muhammad Abdullah Ghalib	Male	over 18	Killed
Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Adhim Dabwan	Male	over 18	Killed
Abd al-Latif Yahya Muhammad Qurashi (Orouk)	Male	15	Killed
Fatima Salem Omar Qurashi (Orouk)	Female	30	Killed
Muhammad Abd al-Aziz Salem Qurashi (Orouk)	Male	5	Killed
Murad Faisal Muhram Salman al-Shamiri	Male	over 18	Killed
Nagib Qaid Abdu Ghalib	Male	over 18	Killed
Neima Hassan Omar Kaboub	Female	40	Killed
Haifa Abd al-Aziz Salim Qurashi (Orouk)	Female	8	Killed
Hassan Ali Qasim Marwai	Male	over 18	Killed
Waila Kamela	Female	over 18	Killed
Muhammad Abd al-Aziz Salem	Male	9	Killed
Hayfa Abd al-Aziz Salem	Female	7	Killed
Abd al-Latif Orouq	Male	18	Killed
Abdullah Bin Abdullah al-Shamiri (Bagesh)	Male	40	Killed
Faisal Muharam	Male	45	Killed
Murad Faisal Muharam	Male	12	Killed
Numan Rajab al-Khalil	Male	over 18	Killed
1st daughter of Yahya Ahmad Sawlah	Female	over 18	Killed
2nd daughter of Yahya Ahmad Sawlah	Female	over 18	Killed
Daughter of Yahya Khabah	Female	over 18	Killed
Daughter of Ayash Aziz	Female	over 18	Killed
Ibrahim (Hibah)	Male	over 18	Killed
Salah al-Shamiri	Male	over 18	Killed
Hassan Murahal	Male	35	Killed
Daughter of al-Musyab	Female	18	Killed
Abd al-Majid Muhammad Abd al-Ghani	Male	15	Wounded
Qasim Ali Qasim Akil	Male	15	Wounded
Abdullah Ahmad Abdi	Male	13	Wounded
Abdullah Salim Dawud	Male	16	Wounded
Yahya Awad Yahya Murahal	Male	15	Wounded
Khawla Salim Ali Musaib	Female	10	Wounded
Ahmad Futaini Hawis	Male	10	Wounded
Ismail Abdullah Ismail Salami	Male	15	Wounded
Bassam Muhammad Abdullah Radman	Male	14	Wounded
Zyad Rabia Muafa Galal	Male	12	Wounded
Hisham Said Ahmad Hin	Male	16	Wounded
Muhammad Abdullah Mata	Male	12	Wounded
Muhammad Ammar al-Bahr	Male	13	Wounded
Murtadha Faris Hadadi	Male	9	Wounded
Qasim Ahmad Qasim Mahwat	Male	15	Wounded
Nasim Muhammad Saghyir Talha	Male	18	Wounded
Akram Wahb Allah Hafid	Male	15	Wounded
Haitham Wahb Allah Hafid	Male	16	Wounded
Othman Muhammad Adam Saigh	Male	15	Wounded
Muhammad Ahmad Sulaiman Olian	Male	8	Wounded
Murad Kadaf Sulaiman Ashiq	Male	6	Wounded
Abdullah Abd al-Wahab al-Ahdal	Male	15	Wounded
Adil Hatim Ali Garwan	Male	12	Wounded
Ahmad Abdullah Hilal	Male	43	Wounded
Muhammad Ahmad Numari	Male	22	Wounded
Muhammad Abdu Hamza	Male	19	Wounded
Adel Hatim Ali Garwan	Male	12	Wounded
Ridhwan Abdu Ahmad Mizgagi	Male	over 18	Wounded
Hamada Ismail Futaini Kushi	Male	22	Wounded
Walid Muhammad Ali Omar Ahiaf	Male	35	Wounded
Sami Ahmad Muhammad Sulaiman Quba	Male	30	Wounded
Muhammad Fawzi Khadim al-Okli	Male	25	Wounded
Hassan Omar Ayash	Male	45	Wounded
Isam Ahmad Bahkali	Male	36	Wounded
Abdullah Sulaiman Daoud al-Wisabi	Male	25	Wounded
Asim Abd al-Ghafar Abd al-Wahab al-Maghbashi	Male	27	Wounded
Abd Al-Rahman Muhammad Badr al-Hubaishi al-Shamiri	Male	25	Wounded
Fathi Ghalib al-Maqbani	Male	28	Wounded
Hashid Nasr Farhan	Male	26	Wounded
Nizar Yahya Rafia	Male	25	Wounded
Faris Abdu Ali Shama	Male	30	Wounded
Mahmoud Ali Muhammad Hajri	Male	13	Wounded
Sulaiman Daoud Halabi	Male	28	Wounded
Mariam Hatash Kharfag Abdullah	Female	30	Wounded
Yahya Obaid Omar Bashah	Male	30	Wounded
Ahmad Hassar Mashrai	Male	35	Wounded
Muhammad Amin Izzi al-Ahdal	Male	50	Wounded
Bassam Badr Qasim Mahreqi	Male	26	Wounded
Abdullah Muhammad Muhsin Balkam	Male	23	Wounded
Adel Muhammad Abdullah Zailai	Male	27	Wounded
Ishaq Abd al-Hakim Ahmad al-Shamiri	Male	20	Wounded
Murad Kadaf Sulaiman Asheq	Male	7	Wounded
Abdu Salim Hubal	Male	40	Wounded
Mutia Mansour Said Gabir	Male	14	Wounded
Khalid Ahmad Kadari	Male	38	Wounded
Yahya Ahmad Izzi Gubaili	Male	20	Wounded
Abdu Ibrahim Garahi	Male	45	Wounded
Murad Tahir al-Sharabi	Male	15	Wounded
Muhammad Abd al-Kadir Nassir Hizam	Male	20	Wounded
Futaini Ammar Salim Zawbal	Male	over 18	Wounded
Samir Tahir Hassan Maqbouli	Male	27	Wounded
Basil Hassan Sadiq	Male	28	Wounded
Ghalib Muhammad Antari	Male	36	Wounded
Gamal Muhammad Abdullah Gharmash	Male	25	Wounded
Nadir Rizq Izzi Saghyir	Male	25	Wounded
Haitham Wahb Allah Hafid	Male	16	Wounded
Hisham Ghalib Haroun	Male	35	Wounded
Fadl Omar Obaid Maraqah	Male	30	Wounded
Sami Ahmad Mubarab	Male	30	Wounded
Issam Omar Obaid Maraqah	Male	35	Wounded
Izzi Obaid Mass Maraqah	Male	40	Wounded
Abdullah Obaid Mass Maraqah	Male	30	Wounded
Fahman Yasir Saif al-Qubati	Male	over 18	Wounded
Abd al-Majid Abdullah Izzi Shaoush	Male	20	Wounded
Muhammad Ali Abdullah al-Qirsh	Male	30	Wounded
Nakli Ahmad	Male	over 18	Wounded
Muhammad Gamal Jidi	Male	over 18	Wounded
Abdullah Awad Qasri	Male	40	Wounded
Haitham Gamal Matari	Male	20	Wounded
Muhammad Saghyir Talha	Male	50	Wounded
Muhammad Abd a-Kadir Nasr al-Sharabi	Male	35	Wounded
Arfat Ahmad Kulaib Duqn	Male	25	Wounded
Obaid Salim Abdullah Khalouf	Male	60	Wounded
Muhammad Awadh Olala	Male	19	Wounded
Hayel Said Ibrahim Khalil (Numari)	Male	19	Wounded
Ibrahim Qasim Muhammad Shalalut (Mahwat)	Male	35	Wounded
Hamdoun Ismail Futaini Qirshi	Male	27	Wounded
Abdullah Abdu Hatib	Male	25	Wounded
Muhammad Omar Muhammad Ahiaf	Male	40	Wounded
Ali Qassim AqIl	Male	55	Wounded
Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Ammar	Male	over 18	Wounded
Najd Abdu Ali Shama	Male	28	Wounded
Majdi Maged Guman Kharfaj	Male	over 18	Wounded
Nssir Bin Nassir Nawbi	Male	25	Wounded
Ahmad Abdullah Abdu Quroush	Male	26	Wounded
Muhammad Yahya Rudaini	Male	24	Wounded
Sulaiman Muhammad Ali Hajri	Male	58	Wounded
Basim Salim Yasin	Male	22	Wounded
Hussien Ismail Salami	Male	35	Wounded
Abdu Yahya Rafia	Male	over 18	Wounded
Nasser Ahmad Hamoud Fassa	Male	35	Wounded
Muhammad Sulaiman Mahmoud Olaian	Male	50	Wounded
Muhammad Said Awadh Duqn	Male	45	Wounded
Rim Hatash Abdullah Kharfaj	Female	20	Wounded
Sharjaba Muhammad Omar Faraj	Female	42	Wounded
Said Muhammad Talha	Male	30	Wounded
Mahmoud Yahya Qasim al-Ibbi	Male	50	Wounded
Muhammad Yahya Abd al-Baqi al-Ahdal	Male	40	Wounded
Fahd Ahmad Salem al-Abd	Male	25	Wounded
Harib Omar Muhammad Kadir	Male	35	Wounded
Muhammad Saghyir Ali Nahari	Male	25	Wounded
Ahmad Mahmoud Gharbi Muhsin	Male	30	Wounded
Fahim Abdu Muhammad Shaoush	Male	30	Wounded
Qaid Hassan Ibrahim Galal	Male	25	Wounded
Maged Salim Muhammad Muhjib	Male	27	Wounded
Ali Ahmad Abdullah Ilias	Male	33	Wounded
Ahmad Muhammad Antari	Male	28	Wounded
Hussein Sulaiman Awadh Kushmoua	Male	60	Wounded
Ibrahim Said Gabir	Male	over 18	Wounded
Abdu Ali Abdullah Hilal	Male	50	Wounded
Naji Muhammad Ismail Najm	Male	36	Wounded
Hisham Ahmad Abdu Bazi	Male	8	Wounded
Abdullah Ahmad Kadari	Male	29	Wounded
Ahmad Muhammad Bin al-Ahdal	Male	55	Wounded
Muhammad Abdullah Numari	Male	22	Wounded
Hussien Ibrahim Muhammad Shaqika	Male	over 18	Wounded
Kamal Ahmad Muhammad Sulaiman Kuba	Male	28	Wounded
Ahmad Futaini Hwais	Male	10	Wounded
Hisham Abdu Awadh Banjooh	Male	25	Wounded
Abdu Ahmad Baishi (Thanab)	Male	35	Wounded
Zyad Rabia Muafa Galagel	Male	12	Wounded
Muhammad Ahmad Maqbuli	Male	over 18	Wounded
Hassan Ahmad Ibrahim Hubaishi	Male	55	Wounded
Saber Ahmad Ismail Dulaiqa	Male	23	Wounded
Said Nasser Tamam	Male	55	Wounded
Abd al-Rahman al-Mizgagi	Male	over 18	Wounded
Muhammad Abd al-Haddi Matah	Male	10	Wounded
Muhammad Ali Ghalib al-Inabi	Male	50	Wounded
Adel Khadim Muqtari	Male	40	Wounded
Issam Muhammad Ali Ikab	Male	36	Wounded
Rabia Murshid Omar Khadim	Female	50	Wounded
Ibrahim Ahmad Hubaishi	Male	31	Wounded
Amin Rizq Izzi Saghyir	Male	30	Wounded
Muhammad Salim al-Maqbouli	Male	35	Wounded
Muhammad Awadh Abd al-Malik	Male	21	Wounded
Ahmad Ismail Futaini Qurashi	Male	23	Wounded
Faiz Ahmad Qasim Muhawat	Male	19	Wounded
Abd al-Malik Qasri	Male	20	Wounded
Muhammad Daoud Halabi	Male	35	Wounded
Ahmad Salim Amin Balkam	Male	45	Wounded
Abdullah Taher al-Sharabi	Male	21	Wounded
Taysir Muhammad Talha	Male	25	Wounded
Bashir Hussien Abdu Batash	Male	over 18	Wounded
Amro Amr Mass Marfah	Male	over 18	Wounded
Hani Said Ali Gawmah	Male	20	Wounded

https://www.hrw.org/node/283702
 

This is a brief translation of an Almasirah TV report (video below) at that time:

The Saudi-led coalition carried out 4 raids on a popular market in the Zabid, south of Al Hodeidah, which houses a large number of local restaurants, grocery stores, super markets  and khat stalls. The bombardment showered the market and nearby houses with shells, turning the streets into pools of blood and human remains. 40 people are reported dead and 56 wounded with countless missing under the rubble.

An old man appears screaming: “They killed my son in the restaurant” and another lying in a stretcher weeping “they bombed us, old people and children, they hit twice, stopped, then they bombed us twice again. Aren’t we Muslim? Why are they killing us?”


WARNING: the media below is graphic and distressing. It is put here as evidence of war crimes, to call on the UN for an independent inquiry, and to call on Western governments to honour the Arms Treaty and to stop the supply of weapons to Saudi Arabia.

This is the report from the Legal Center for Rights and Development, listing names of the dead and injured and some testimonies of some of the witnesses:

This is Mwatana's report of the incident:

 

http://www.mwatana.org/en/132016446

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