Sana’a: Yemen president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi ordered an investigation into the death of 12 civilians by a suspected US drone strike near the town of Radaa, southeast of Sana’a, state media reported on Tuesday night.
A security source told Saba news agency that an airstrike accidentally struck the civilians when their presence coincided with a car carrying Al Qaida militants.
The strike was targeting Al Qaida’s active member Abdul Rauf Al Dahab who not hurt in the attack according to local sources.
“The governor of Al Bayada province visited the scene to offer condolences to the families and begin an investigation,” the source added. Hadi pledged to take action against those involved in the attack.
A local journalist from the province told Gulf News that victims’ relatives blocked the Al Bayada-Sana’a road to protest against the attack.
“The residents opened the road only after the governor pledged to form an enquiry committee.” the journalist said.
Also, local human rights organisations called upon Hadi and his government to put an end to the frequent attacks on civilians as part of the government’s war on terror. The Sana’a-based Seyaj Organisation for Childhood Protection issued a statement condemning the attack and urged the government to “protect its people and country’s sovereignty”. The organisation said that five children and two women were among the victims of strike.
