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U.S. Navy Ship Comes Under Fire Near Yemen U.N. Chief Condemns Airstrike on Yemeni Funeral and Dismisses Saudi Denials
(about 9 hours later)
WASHINGTON — A United States Navy guided-missile destroyer came under fire on Sunday from coastal areas of Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels, but the two missiles that were launched toward the ship fell harmlessly into the sea, the Pentagon said. GENEVA — The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, on Monday condemned a weekend airstrike on a funeral ceremony in the Yemeni capital, Sana, as well as the Saudi-led bombing campaign believed to be responsible for it.
While a Houthi military official on Monday denied reports that the rebel group had targeted the destroyer, the episode seemed to represent the first known instance in which the Houthis had fired on an American vessel since Yemen’s civil war began in 2014. Mr. Ban said he supported demands for an international inquiry into whether the attack, which killed at least 140 people, was a war crime.
The attack occurred a day after airstrikes on a funeral in Sana, the capital, killed more than 100 people, prompting the United States to say it would conduct “an immediate review” of its support for the Saudi-led coalition battling the rebels. “Despite mounting crimes by all parties to the conflict, we have yet to see the results of any credible investigations,” he said. “This latest horrific incident demands a full inquiry.”
In response to the attack on the funeral, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran, widely seen as the main backers of the Houthis, issued an angry statement saying the rebel group, which Iran refers to as the Ansarullah movement, would “avenge” the bombing, which the statement called “a U.S., Saudi, Israeli joint conspiracy.” Brushing aside Saudi Arabia’s initial denials of responsibility, he said reports from the site of the attack indicated that it was carried out by the Saudi-led coalition.
According to witness accounts cited by United Nations human rights investigators, two airstrikes struck the Al Kubra community hall in Sana, seven to eight minutes apart. It was packed with families attending the funeral of a leader of the Houthi rebel movement, which is battling the Saudi-backed government of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi for control of the country. Many prominent military and political leaders associated with the Houthis were in the hall and were killed in the assault, the United Nations said.
“Aerial attacks by the Saudi-led coalition have already caused immense carnage and destroyed much of the country’s medical facilities and other vital civilian infrastructure,” Mr. Ban said. “Excuses ring hollow given the pattern of violence throughout the conflict. Parties cannot hide behind the fog of this war. A man-made catastrophe is unfolding before our eyes.”
Earlier on Monday, the United Nation’s top human rights official, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, called for an independent international inquiry, noting a sharp rise in civilian casualties since the collapse of Yemeni peace talks in August.
At least 369 civilians have been killed or injured since the start of October, Mr. Hussein said in a statement, bringing total documented civilian deaths since the coalition entered Yemen’s civil war in March 2015 to at least 4,125 and the number of injured to 7,207.
In response to the attack on the funeral, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran, widely seen as the main backers of the Houthis, issued an angry statement saying that the rebel group, which Iran refers to as the Ansarullah movement, would “avenge” the bombing, and that the attack was “a U.S., Saudi, Israeli joint conspiracy.”
The statement concluded: “The glorious and sublime nation of Iran will continue to support the resistance of Muslim nations, especially the innocent people of Yemen, against the Zionist wrongdoing of House of Saud and calls all divisions of the Islamic nation to condemn the great and brutal crime in Sana and unveil the face of hypocrites who claim to be servants of the holy shrines.”The statement concluded: “The glorious and sublime nation of Iran will continue to support the resistance of Muslim nations, especially the innocent people of Yemen, against the Zionist wrongdoing of House of Saud and calls all divisions of the Islamic nation to condemn the great and brutal crime in Sana and unveil the face of hypocrites who claim to be servants of the holy shrines.”
The Houthis are known to have a stockpile of various Soviet-era rockets and missiles. Saudi Arabia nevertheless accuses Iran of sending missiles to the rebels, as it does to the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and to the Islamic Jihad group in Gaza. Iran denies it has provided weapons to the Houthi rebels. In Yemen on Monday, a Houthi military official denied reports that the Houthis had targeted an American guided missile destroyer that came under fire on Sunday from coastal areas controlled by the rebel groups. Two missiles were fired, but they both fell into the sea, the Pentagon said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps views the United States Navy as its main opponent in the region. In August, there were multiple incidents in the Persian Gulf involving Guards Corps ships challenging American ships. The Houthis are known to have a stockpile of various Soviet-era rockets and missiles. Saudi Arabia nevertheless accuses Iran of sending missiles to the rebels, as it does to the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and to the Islamic Jihad group in Gaza. Iran denies that it has provided weapons to the Houthi rebels.
On Sunday evening, the destroyer Mason, while conducting routine operations in international waters, detected two missiles fired at the ship within a one-hour period, according to a statement from Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps views the United States Navy as its main opponent in the region. In August, there were multiple episodes in the Persian Gulf involving Guards Corps ships challenging American vessels.
Captain Davis said both missiles had fallen well shy of the ship — he would not say by how much — and caused no damage or injuries. The ship was operating in the southern end of the Red Sea, north of Bab el Mandeb, a strait. On Sunday evening, the United States destroyer Mason, while conducting routine operations in international waters, detected two missiles fired at the ship in under an hour, according to a statement from Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.
He said both missiles had fallen well shy of the ship — he would not say by how much — and had caused no damage or injuries. The ship was operating in the southern Red Sea, north of Bab el Mandeb, a strait.
“We assess the missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen,” Captain Davis said.“We assess the missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen,” Captain Davis said.
A Saudi-led Arab coalition has been fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen since March 2015. The United States has provided refueling planes and some intelligence to the coalition, but it has not been directly involved in picking targets for coalition airstrikes, many of which have killed civilians.