JEDDAH: The Saudi-led coalition announced on Friday it is investigating an attack on a passenger bus in Yemen.
The International Committee for the Red Cross said at least 29 children were killed and dozens more injured when the bus was hit in Saada province on Thursday.
“The leadership of the coalition has ordered the immediate opening of an investigation to assess the events, clarify their circumstances and announce the results as soon as possible,” a senior coalition official said.
The official affirmed the coalition’s constant commitment to investigate all incidents involving allegations of wrongdoing, violations of international law, holding perpetrators accountable and assisting victims.
He also stressed the coalition’s keenness to make every effort to maintain the safety of civilians
The United Nations chief and the US State Department both called for the strike in Dahyan market to be investigated.
Meanwhile, UN chief Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation of the raid in Dahyan, a town in the Houthis’ home province of Saada.
The UN Security Council on Friday also called for a “credible and transparent” investigation after receiving a closed-door briefing on the strike by a senior UN official.
Saudi-led coalition to investigate Yemen bus attack
Saudi-led coalition to investigate Yemen bus attack
Saudi, Pakistan defense chiefs discuss ‘measures needed to halt’ Iranian attacks on Kingdom
RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Asim Munir discussed Iran’s attacks on the Kingdom, amid the escalating military conflict in the Middle East.
“We discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them within the framework of our Joint Strategic Defense Agreement,” Prince Khalid wrote on social media early on Saturday.
“We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian side will exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation.”
The US and Israel began a large-scale military campaign against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran has since attacked a number of sites across the Gulf.
Tehran has also attacked US and Israeli military assets as the war as escalated, impacting lives in the peaceful Arabian Gulf peninsula and risked shaking the global economy as Iran continued restricting energy shipping along the Strait of Hormuz.
The Saudi Defense Ministry said a number of drones had been shot down that were targeting the Shayba oil field in the Empty Quarter on Saturday.
A drone attacked the US embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday causing a minor fire, but no one was hurt in the incident.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a “Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement” in September, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both.
Separately, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, the Saudi interior minister, received a call from his Pakistani counterpart Raza Naqvi, who condemned the blatant attacks targeting the Kingdom and affirmed his country’s solidarity in confronting any threats to the Kingdom’s security and stability, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
