Sanaa: Saudi-led coalition airstrikes hit a residential area in a quiet Red Sea town in Yemen, killing at least 120 people in the deadliest strike against civilians since the March offensive began, security and medical officials said.

Hours later, the coalition unexpectedly announced that it would start a five-day humanitarian pause on Sunday, just before midnight.

The airstrikes late Friday hit workers’ housing for a power plant in Mokha, flattening some of the buildings to the ground, the officials said. A fire erupted in the area, charring many of the corpses, including children, women and elderly people.

Wahib Mohammed, an eyewitness and area resident, said some of the bodies were torn apart by the force of the blast and buried in a mass grave on Saturday. Some of the strikes also hit nearby livestock pens, he said. Human and animal blood pooled on the ground of the surrounding area.



The deadly strike highlights growing concerns that the Saudi-led coalition’s airstrikes are increasingly killing civilians as they continue to target Shiite rebels known as Houthis.

“It just shows what is the trend now of the airstrikes from the coalition,” said Hassan Boucenine of the Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders. “Now, it’s a house, it’s a market, it’s anything.”

He added that many of the workers had families visiting for the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Mokha, populated largely by fisherman, had a reputation as one of the safest places in the country embroiled in war, said Boucenine.

Saudi officials could not be reached for comment, and the government’s official media did not issue a statement about the deadly strike. Over the course of the war, rights groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have expressed concern that the Saudi-led coalition is violating laws of war and not doing enough to prevent or minimize civilian casualties.

It is not clear why the workers’ housing was hit. Yemeni security officials said the closest Houthi outpost to Friday evening’s strike is at least 5 kilometers (3 miles) away. Four airstrikes hit the residence after Saudi-led coalition planes launched dozens of missiles on positions of Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies in the surrounding area. The strikes in the area continued Saturday as dozens of families fled, security officials and eyewitnesses said.

A military official said the coalition had been given incorrect coordinates. He denied that the coordinates had come from

anyone in the district and said he called the coalition to inform them of the high number of civilian casualties.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

Boucenine, of Doctors Without Borders, said the hospital in Mokha had closed weeks prior due to a lack of medical supplies and staff. Some of the injured died en route to the hospital in the city of Hodeida, 180 kilometers (112 miles) north. The provincial capital of Taiz was inaccessible due to ongoing fighting. Boucenine said the hospital confirmed 44 fatalities, though he expected the actual toll was significantly higher.

Deif Allah al-Shamy, a Houthi leader, called Friday’s strike “an ugly crime and a flagrant violation of human rights.”

Houthi rebels have also been criticized by rights groups for causing civilian casualties. Houthis and their allies randomly shelled a town earlier this week outside of Aden after losing control of some the port city’s neighborhoods, killing nearly 100 people, Doctors Without Borders said.

Since March 26, at least 1,693 civilians have been killed in the Yemen fighting, with 3,829 wounded, the U.N. said earlier this week. It says civilians have been killed by mortar fire and ground fighting though “the majority of the casualties are reported to have been caused by air strikes.”

The fighting in Yemen pits the Houthis and troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh against southern separatists, local and tribal militias, Sunni Islamic militants and loyalists of exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who is now in Saudi Arabia.

The U.N. human rights office said in a statement this week that “since 17 June, there has been further destruction of civilian infrastructure, with at least 36 buildings, including hospitals, schools, court houses, power generation facilities, and communications institutions partially or totally damaged.”

Less than a day after the deadly strike, the Saudi-led coalition announced it will start a five-day humanitarian pause in Yemen on Sunday just before midnight.

The statement, carried on Saudi state media Saturday, said the pause came as a result of a request by Hadi to Saudi’s King Salman.

It said the coalition will cease military operations, but that it will respond should Houthi rebels or their allies conduct any military actions or movements.

The truce is intended to give pause to months of punishing fighting in the war-torn impoverished Gulf nation and allow for the dispersing of much-needed humanitarian aid.

The previous humanitarian pause, which was announced earlier this month and was expected to last until the end of the holy month of Ramadan, never truly went into effect as both sides blamed each other and civilian deaths continued.

Washington: President Barack Obama welcomed Saudi Arabian leaders to the White House Wednesday amid strains with the kingdom over his pursuit of a nuclear deal with Iran.

As he opened their Oval Office meeting, Obama said the US and Saudi Arabia were building their relationship “during a very challenging time.” Beyond the Gulf nation’s worries about Iran, Saudi Arabia and other countries are deeply concerned about the rise of Daesh and instability in Yemen.

Obama made no mention of the nuclear negotiations, which will be at the forefront of discussions with regional leaders at Camp David on Thursday.

The president also was hosting a dinner Wednesday for representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

But Obama’s separate meeting with the Saudis underscores the desert kingdom’s critical role. Saudi Arabia has been among the strongest critics of the president’s Iran overtures and worries not only about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, but also its meddling throughout the region.

Obama had planned to meet one on one Wednesday with Saudi King Salman. But the kingdom abruptly announced over the weekend that the king would no longer travel to Washington.

Both the White House and Saudi officials insisted Salman was not snubbing Obama. Still, his decision to skip a visit to the White House and a rare summit at Obama’s presidential retreat raised questions about the effectiveness of the meetings.

The White House is expected to offer the Gulf nations more military assistance, including increased joint exercises and coordination on ballistic missile systems. The package of assistance would be aimed at reassuring the region that the US will guard its security against potential Iranian aggression.

Some Gulf nations wanted Obama to commit to a formal defense treaty, but US officials have told leaders the president will not agree to such a measure.

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia beheaded two people for murdering the boss. One of whom was from India, the interior ministry said.

Sajada Ansari, a shepherd, was convicted of robbing his Saudi boss as he slept and beating him to death with a hammer, the ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The other convict, Saudi Mater al-Rowaeeli, was condemned for shooting dead his ex-wife and two of their children.

Both executions were carried out in the kingdom's north. They bring to 65 the number of beheadings by the sword this year in Saudi Arabia, a surge that compares with 87 death sentences in all of 2014, according to AFP tallies.

Drug trafficking, rape, murder, apostasy and armed robbery are all punishable by death under the kingdom's strict version of Islamic sharia law.

Amnesty International's 2014 global report on the death penalty ranks Saudi Arabia among the top five executioners in the world.

Manama: A short clip of a young girl firing in the air has sparked outrage in Saudi Arabia and prompted calls for taking stringent legal action against reckless parents.

The four-second clip shows a nine-year girl holding a Kalashnikov, shouting that she is Nasser’s daughter and then firing in the air.

The clip was posted on social networks two days after a similar video of another young girl firing with her Kalashnikov to show her support for Operation Decisive Storm, the military operations in Yemen. 

The clips have now triggered concerns about a dangerous wave of imitations fuelled by the lure of social networks fame.

“This is outrageous and I wonder what is happening,” a blogger, the Humble, posted. “Such young children cannot handle guns and are a real threat to themselves and to the people around them. Parents should simply be put in jail.”

Another blogger, Arab, said that the family should be thankful no harm happened.

“One slight mistake and Nasser’s family will go through a tragedy,” he said. “The father should be locked away until he comes to his senses.”

Writing under the moniker of Wisdom, a blogger slammed the girl’s family for their recklessness.

“Suppose for one minute that the firearm struck the child or the person who was filming her or a family member watching the scene,” he posted. “We will of course have a tragedy and we will also have tears from the family who will be blaming the civil defence the Red Crescent and medics for not rescuing their child and for failing to show up earlier to save her. A terrible tragedy and real drama that must be averted by not allowing the child to use a firearm,” he said.

For the Wise, another blogger, the authorities should push families to appreciate that firearms are not toys to be given to young children or to be used on auspicious occasions.

“Guns are for wars and not to be used to show off and to brag,” he said.

“These people who boast about their gun prowess will be the last to show up when there is a real armed conflict. The authorities must be more vigilant in dealing with those who use guns to show off or to celebrate weddings.”

This week, a wedding celebration in Saudi Arabia has almost turned into a tragedy after the groom’s brother lost control of his Kalashnikov in celebratory fire.

Reckless

A 30-second clip posted on social media showed the brother walking alongside his brother towards the wedding hall and firing one bullet at a time in the air in jubilation and to show off his skills.

However, he suddenly lost control of the Kalashnikov and unleashed a hail of bullets that ricocheted off the wall, prompting the guests to look for cover to avoid being struck.

Online comments condemned the brother’s reckless behaviour and called for stringent action against him and other people who risked turning happy occasions into tragedies.

In its attempts to curb the use of firearms, Saudi authorities have assigned policemen to monitor palaces, wedding halls and relaxation areas to ensure full compliance with the law amid warnings that whoever breaks the law will be severely punished.

Manama: A short clip of a young girl firing in the air has sparked outrage in Saudi Arabia and prompted calls for taking stringent legal action against reckless parents.

The four-second clip shows a nine-year girl holding a Kalashnikov, shouting that she is Nasser’s daughter and then firing in the air.

The clip was posted on social networks two days after a similar video of another young girl firing with her Kalashnikov to show her support for Operation Decisive Storm, the military operations in Yemen. 

The clips have now triggered concerns about a dangerous wave of imitations fuelled by the lure of social networks fame.

“This is outrageous and I wonder what is happening,” a blogger, the Humble, posted. “Such young children cannot handle guns and are a real threat to themselves and to the people around them. Parents should simply be put in jail.”

Another blogger, Arab, said that the family should be thankful no harm happened.

“One slight mistake and Nasser’s family will go through a tragedy,” he said. “The father should be locked away until he comes to his senses.”

Writing under the moniker of Wisdom, a blogger slammed the girl’s family for their recklessness.

“Suppose for one minute that the firearm struck the child or the person who was filming her or a family member watching the scene,” he posted. “We will of course have a tragedy and we will also have tears from the family who will be blaming the civil defence the Red Crescent and medics for not rescuing their child and for failing to show up earlier to save her. A terrible tragedy and real drama that must be averted by not allowing the child to use a firearm,” he said.

For the Wise, another blogger, the authorities should push families to appreciate that firearms are not toys to be given to young children or to be used on auspicious occasions.

“Guns are for wars and not to be used to show off and to brag,” he said.

“These people who boast about their gun prowess will be the last to show up when there is a real armed conflict. The authorities must be more vigilant in dealing with those who use guns to show off or to celebrate weddings.”

This week, a wedding celebration in Saudi Arabia has almost turned into a tragedy after the groom’s brother lost control of his Kalashnikov in celebratory fire.

Reckless

A 30-second clip posted on social media showed the brother walking alongside his brother towards the wedding hall and firing one bullet at a time in the air in jubilation and to show off his skills.

However, he suddenly lost control of the Kalashnikov and unleashed a hail of bullets that ricocheted off the wall, prompting the guests to look for cover to avoid being struck.

Online comments condemned the brother’s reckless behaviour and called for stringent action against him and other people who risked turning happy occasions into tragedies.

In its attempts to curb the use of firearms, Saudi authorities have assigned policemen to monitor palaces, wedding halls and relaxation areas to ensure full compliance with the law amid warnings that whoever breaks the law will be severely punished.

Mangaluru: In a fatal accident in Jubail in Saudi Arabia a lad from Mangaluru died on the spot on Tuesday.

Mangaluru Kudroli resident Tanzeer alias Tanchi(30), son of Hasanabba and Mariyamma, was working as a driver in DHL company in Dammam.

Tuesday afternoon around 3.30 p.m serial accident had happened. Tanzeer who was severly injured has died on the spot. D.Hasanabba has 7 sons and 2 daughters.Tanzeer was the 5th son of Hasanabba. Three sons including Tanzeer are working abroad.

He is working in Gulf country since 8 years and had got engaged 8 months back. Now his death has put the family in remorse.

Manama: Saudi journalist Mohammad Al Thubaiti who often tweeted warnings against medical errors and died reportedly from a medical error has been buried in the Eastern Province city of Dammam.
Saud Bin Nayef, the Governor of the Eastern province Saud Bin Nayef was among the mourners who attended the highly emotional funerals on Wednesday afternoon.
Several media figures were also present at the Dammam graveyard for the funerals of their colleague who passed away on Tuesday after more than two weeks in coma.
His family said they would press for justice.
 

“We never thought that an intervention as simple as removing abscess from his foot would cause his death,” Salman Al Thubaiti, his brother, said.
The procedure took place under anesthesia at a hospital in Dammam in Eastern Saudi Arabia.

The family believes that a member of the medical team failed to position an oxygen device on the patient for nearly 10 minutes after the operation, resulting in a cardiac arrest, coma for more than two weeks and subsequently death, Saudi news site Sabq reported on Wednesday.

Salman charged that the negligence of the hospital caused a six-hour delay in transporting his brother to King Fahad Specialised Hospital.
“We were shocked to discover there were no drivers for the ambulances,” he said. “Hospital officials looked for them before seeking assistance from them before they called the director. A driver was eventually found. We later had an issue with the X-ray records. We now want the rules and regulations to be implemented and justice to be done,” he said.

A committee of consultants set up to look into the case has reportedly finished its investigation and referred the conclusions to the public prosecution.
Khalid bin Mohammad Al Shaibani, Director General of the Eastern Province health department, said that a travel ban had been imposed on the doctor treating the patient.

Media figures in Saudi Arabia offered their condolences to Mohammad’s family and paid tribute to the journalist who had regularly posted tweets warning against medical errors.
Several comments praised his initiative to use the society section of his newspaper, Al Yawm, to help the needy, the orphans and the sick.
Mohammad, in his late 30s, is survived by his wife and four children.

Dubai: A festival to educate youngsters on the rich culture of Kerala was organised for almost 10,000 Indian expatriate families near Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

The festival was marked by exceptionally attractive events like presentations of Kerala's traditional dances and other art forms by budding kids.

'The festival was held to mark the conclusion of a series of programs organised by Malarvadi Baalasangam in 2014 to create awareness among expatriate kids on Kerala's unique culture, language, literature, political landscape and social values,' said Sajid Ahmed, an official of Malarvadi, the organisation which hosted the event.

Malarvadi helps in developing the leadership qualities of children, fostering moral values and promoting communal harmony, said its chief patron Mohammed Najeeb.

'In this age of the mass massacre of regional languages and fast diminishing social values and heritage, these Malarvadi programs are viewed as a noble and timely venture,' Ahmed was quoted as saying by the Arab News.

During the event, many kids prepared a booklet which was rich in content with comprehensive information on culture, literature, politics, traditional arts, sports and other specialities of Kerala, which were later distributed in the kingdom.