Animal rights groups condemn Saudi-led deadly attack on stable killing horses in Yemen

(April 1) Animal rights organizations issued statements Tuesday condemning the Saudi Arabian attack on Yemen's capital city Sanaa particularly an attack against a horse stable that killed numerous horses. Sanaa is held by the Iran-supported Houthi rebels

Horse stable was at a military college

The Saudi defense for the attack was that the stable was at a military college. The Saudis claim that the targets threatened civilian lives. It is difficult to see how the horses could be such a threat as at no point during the Yemen was have horses been a factor.

The attack on the stable

There were at least 19 attacks launched by the Saudis against military bases and the military college where the stable was located among others. Animal rights groups called the attack on the stable a horse massacre. At least 70 were killed and many others badly wounded.

The Saudi attacks over the last five years have often been criticized for killing civilians including women and children. There was one civilian killed in this attack as well.

The attacks could very well have been in retaliation for recent Houthi attacks using ballistic missiles aimed at Ryad and another Saudi city.

Peace attempts have been unsuccessful

In November the two sides had shown an interest in at least de-escalating the violence. Saudi Arabia said that it had an open channel with the rebels to negotiate and end the war. However these efforts appear to have failed to bear fruit. When the Saudis began the war to reinstate the Hadi government that the Houthis had overthrown they expected to win quickly. It was not to be, after five years the Houthis control the capital Sanaa and much of the north and of late have extended their control. The Saudis may be ready to ditch the Hadi government if it does not go along with a peace deal with southern separatists supported by the UAE who negotiated a peace deal after an internal conflict. The Hadi government was supposed to negotiate a power sharing deal with the separatists but have resisted doing so. The Saudis may decide that they can make a peace deal that would see the Houthis rule the north and the separatists along with Hadi rule the south. If Hadi refused to go along he could be left to his own devices.

Yemen has been in a humanitarian crisis because of the war with diseases such as cholera running rampant. More than 100,000 people have been killed since the war began in March of 2015.

Previously published in the Digital Journal