Illustrative image, source: the Houthis media wing.
On December 5, the Saudi-led coalition shared footage showing alleged fighters of the Houthis (Ansar Allah) firing an “Iranian-developed missile”.
The coalition said that the footage was taken on November 29. However, it didn’t clarify where they were taken or how it was able to obtain it.
#تحالف_دعم_الشرعية_في_اليمن يعرض لقطات وصور توثق استخدام المليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية للمدنيين والأعيان المدنية كدروع بشرية.#واس_عام pic.twitter.com/32eZarFNA2
— واس العام (@SPAregions) December 5, 2021
What was described by the Saudi-led coalition as an “Iranian-developed missile” appears to be a locally-made copy of an unguided 122 mm Grad short-rang artillery rocket.
The coalition claimed that the footage shows Houthi fighters launching the “missile” from an area crowded by civilians. However, no civilians appear in the footage. Furthermore, the area from which the “missile” was launched appeared to be empty.
— واس العام (@SPAregions) December 5, 2021
Earlier today, the Saudi-led coalition announced that it had intercepted four suicided drones which were launched from Yemen by the Houthis at Saudi Arabia southern region. However, the coalition shared footage showing one interception only.
قيادة القوات المشتركة للتحالف تنشر لقطات فيديو لاعتراض وتدمير إحدى الطائرات المسيرة بالأجواء اليمنية بعد أن حاولت المليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية استهداف المدنيين والأعيان المدنية بالمنطقة الجنوبية للمملكة صباح اليوم بأربع طائرات مسيرة أعلن التحالف اعتراضها وتدميرها.#واس_عام pic.twitter.com/ZayAXi8bfW
— واس العام (@SPAregions) December 5, 2021
Later the coalition announced that a fifth Houthi suicide drone was intercepted before it could attack “civilian targets” in the Kingdom.
The Saudi-led coalition intensified its airstrikes on Yemen in the last few weeks. While the coalition claims that its airstrikes destroyed key facilities of the Houthis, civilian causalities were reported at least in two of the coalition’s recent airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa, and the southwestern province of Taiz.
