WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 -- As accusations grew over U.S. reported support of the Saudi-led coalition in the recent attack in Yemen that had caused huge civilian casualties, U.S. State Department on Thursday urged to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the airstrikes.
In a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said although Washington does not have full details of the attacks on the ground, it is certainly "concerned about" the reports of civilian casualties in the war-torn Middle East nation.
"We call on the Saudi-led coalition to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident. We take all credible accounts of civilian casualties very seriously. We call on the parties to take appropriate measures to protect civilians in accordance with international law and urge all parties to investigate all reported incidents of civilian casualties," she said.
Washington has been reportedly provided weapons, training and targeting data to Saudi Arabia that had facilitated the attacks.
As questions has also mounted over the Saudi-led coalition's earlier assertion that the attacks had been conducted in accordance with international law, the call for further investigation into the issue by independent bodies has been rising.
Nauert dodged the questions, only saying that "we regret any loss of civilian life" and "Saudi Arabia is an important strategic partner in the region to the United States."
At least 43 civilians, mostly children, were killed on Thursday when Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit buses in Yemen's northern province of Saada.
The Saudi-led coalition later defended the airstrike as "legitimate" response to a deadly Houthi attack on the Saudi border city Jazan.
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam mocked the statement, saying "this is a war crime."
Henrietta Fore, head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), strongly condemned the airstrike.
"Attacks on children are absolutely unacceptable," said Fore. "I'm horrified by the reported airstrike on innocent children, some with UNICEF backpacks. Enough is enough."
"Attacking children is the lowest any party of this conflict can go," UNICEF Yemen Resident Representative Meritxell Relano told UN News. "There is no justification whatsoever to attacking children."
The Saada attack was the latest in a series of recent airstrikes against civilians launched by the Saudi-led coalition on Yemen.
Last week, the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes struck the gate of al-Thawra hospital and adjacent fish market in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, killing 52 civilians and wounding 102 others.
Saudi Arabia has led an Arab military coalition that had intervened in the Yemen war since 2017 to support the government of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
GRE阅读的高境界,万事不绝对
GRE阅读,培养良好的阅读习惯是关键
GRE阅读考试攻克难句三原则
GRE考试难句训练法
GRE阅读方法把握主体是关键
GRE听课笔记--阅读(1)
GRE阅读结构化分析及运用
GRE阅读文章论证结构
GRE阅读:个人理解
GRE阅读考试选材特征
GRE听课笔记--阅读(6)
GRE阅读解析:出题规律
GRE阅读难句解析(十二)
GRE听课笔记--阅读(2)
GRE阅读难句背诵实例(六)
新GRE阅读:长难句练习一
了解GRE阅读的特性
GRE阅读难句要点解读
GRE阅读潜规则
GRE阅读中常见让步关系
新GRE阅读难句解析——倒装
如何应付GRE阅读中的陌生词汇
了解GRE写作的文体特性
如何修炼GRE阅读文章的逻辑思想(二)
GRE阅读难句解析(十一)
GRE阅读考试难句解析(七)
新GRE阅读难句解析——插入语
新GRE考试阅读逻辑题练习(第一套)
GRE阅读理解的三个层次
GRE阅读考试难句解析(八)
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |