Assalam-o-Alaikum my dear readers! How are you all? I hope you and your families are fine. Today I am writing about sad and serious news from Yemen, a country in the Middle East. And I will explain everything in very simple words.
On Thursday, there was a big missile and drone attack on the presidential palace in Aden, a city in Yemen. The palace is called Al-Maashiq Palace. It is the main office of Yemen’s government, the place where the prime minister and other top officials work. According to Yemen’s Health Ministry, the attack killed 5 people and injured 16 people. The people who died included security guards and civilian workers of the government office.
Yemen in simple words
Let me first tell you about Yemen in very simple words, because many of my readers may not know much about this country. Yemen is a country near Saudi Arabia. Since 2014, there has been a civil war in Yemen. A civil war means people of the same country fighting each other. One side is called the Houthis. They control the capital city, Sanaa, in the north. The other side is the internationally recognized government, which means most countries of the world accept it as the real government. This government works from Aden, a port city in the south, because it lost the capital to the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia supports Yemen’s government. According to many countries, Iran supports the Houthis. So this war is also part of a bigger fight between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the region. It is very sad, because the common people of Yemen are suffering the most. Millions of people do not have enough food and clean water.
What happened on Thursday
The good news is that the Prime Minister of Yemen, Shaya Al-Zindani, and the other ministers are safe. Also, the government’s Information Ministry said the prime minister was not hurt in the attack. The prime minister called the attack “cowardly” and said it shows the Houthis keep targeting civilians and government buildings. He also said the government will continue its work and will not stop fighting the Houthis.
The Houthis gave a different story. Their military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said they were not attacking the Yemeni government. He said they attacked a Saudi military operations center inside the palace compound. He said Saudi officers work there and there are weapons stored there. The Houthis said this attack is part of their plan to target Saudi military places wherever they are. We cannot check which side is fully right, because independent reporters could not verify the Houthis’ claim. This is why I always tell you, my friends, to read news from many sources.
A worrying pattern
This attack did not happen alone. It is part of a bigger and very worrying pattern. In the last few weeks, the Houthis have attacked many places in Saudi Arabia too. Just last Saturday, a Houthi missile hit the international airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and killed 13 people. In fact, people called this the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than ten years. The Houthis have also attacked the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh many times. The coalition spokesman said the Houthis attacked that airport 20 times since the start of October. The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences stopped many Houthi drones that were coming towards Saudi Arabia’s southern areas.
The fighting in Yemen had stopped for some years because of a truce, which means both sides agreed to stop fighting for a while. But this summer, the fighting started again. The Houthis began a fast attack in September. Last week, Yemen’s government forces started a new operation to take back areas from the Houthis. They took back land near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is a very important sea route for ships. Aid groups are warning that life in Yemen is getting worse very fast.
Many experts say this Yemen war is now part of a much bigger regional war. Earlier this year, in February, the United States and Israel attacked Iran. Since then, the whole region has become more tense. The Houthis say they are fighting against Saudi Arabia and its friends. Saudi Arabia says Iran is giving weapons and training to the Houthis, which is against the rules of the United Nations. Iran says it only gives political support, not weapons. So you can see, my friends, this is a very complex situation with many sides.
Why Pakistan should care
Why should we in Pakistan care about this news? There are two big reasons. First, Pakistan has very close and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia. Our Prime Minister has clearly said that Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia for its safety. I wrote a full article about how Saudi Arabia stopped Houthi missiles and drones and how Pakistan supports the Kingdom. You can read it here: Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missiles and Drones — Pakistan Stands Shoulder to Shoulder with KSA. Second, thousands of Pakistani workers and families live and work in Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s neighbouring countries. When there is war near them, their safety becomes a worry for all of us.
My dear readers, war only brings pain. For example, the 5 people who died in Aden were someone’s sons, brothers, and fathers. The 16 injured people will carry this pain for a long time. The children of Yemen did not choose this war, but they are paying the price. So I pray from my heart that peace comes to Yemen soon. Every human life is precious, no matter which country they belong to.
So here at Pak Unfiltered, I promise to keep bringing you world news in simple words, without taking any side, and always with respect for human life.
For more details, you can read the reports by CNN, Reuters, and the Reuters wrap-up on Devdiscourse. Wikipedia has a good simple page about the Yemeni civil war too.
If you have any questions about this news, please ask me in the comments. I will try my best to answer in simple words.
Take care, and keep the people of Yemen in your prayers. To contact us, visit: https://pakunfiltered.com/contact-us/. Your questions are always welcome here.
