The Saudi-led coalition used precision-guided munition made in the United States in last week’s air strike on a detention center in Yemen’s Saada, Amnesty International said.
The laser-guided bomb used in the attack, manufactured by US defense company Raytheon, is the latest piece in a wider web of evidence of the use of US-manufactured weapons in incidents that could amount to war crimes, the human rights watch said on Wednesday.
“Horrific images that have trickled out of Yemen despite the four-day internet blackout are a jarring reminder of who is paying the terrible price for Western states’ lucrative arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its coalition allies,” said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
The strike last week on Saada prison killed at least 90 people at injured at least 230 others.
Over the past week, the Saudi-led coalition has relentlessly pounded northern Yemen with air strikes, including the capital city, Sanaa, that have inflicted dozens of civilian casualties and destroyed infrastructure and services.
Maalouf called on Washington to halt arms sales to all countries involved in the conflict in Yemen.
“The USA and other arms-supplying states must immediately halt transfers of arms, equipment, and military assistance to all parties involved in the conflict in Yemen. The international community has a responsibility to close the gates to all arms sales that are fueling the needless suffering of civilians in the armed conflict.”
“By knowingly supplying the means by which the SLC has repeatedly violated international human rights and humanitarian law, the USA — along with the UK and France — share responsibility for these violations.”
Amnesty International’s arms experts analyzed photos of the remnants of the weapon used in the attack on the detention center and identified the bomb as a GBU-12, a 500lb laser-guided bomb manufactured by Raytheon.
Source: Amnesty International
