As human rights activists demand an end to weapons sales to Saudi Arabia after a Saudi-led coalition’s deadly air strike on Yemen, new pictures show Serbian weapons being used in the Yemeni conflict on both sides.
After Human Rights Watch on Sunday appealed for a stop to weapons exports to Saudi Arabia following last month’s airstrike in Yemen that killed at least 26 children and wounded at least 19, new pictures show Serbian-made weapons being used in the conflict in Yemen.
A picture posted on September 2 by the Yemen Observer Twitter account shows Serbian Zastava M93 anti-material rifle in the hands of Houthi fighter.
Yemen Observer@YemeniObserv Replying to @YemeniObserv Serbian Zastava M93 anti-material rifle in the hands of Houthi fighter. 6:39 PM – Sep 2, 2018 24 16 people are talking about this
Serbian Zastava M93 anti-material rifle in the hands of Houthi fighter.
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16 people are talking about this
Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition against the Houthis, who control Yemen’s north including the capital Sanaa, in a three-year conflict, which according to Reuters reports is widely seen as a proxy battle between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Human Rights Watch on Sunday issued a press release in which it called on countries to immediately halt weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and support strengthening a United Nations independent inquiry into violations by all parties in Yemen’s armed conflict.
“Since the Yemen conflict escalated in March 2015, numerous coalition airstrikes have been carried out in violation of the laws of war without adequate follow-up investigations, placing arms suppliers at risk of complicity in war crimes,” the press release said.
Human Rights Watch called the August 9 Saudi-led coalition airstrike that killed at least 26 children and wounded at least 19 more in or near a school bus in the busy market of Dhahyan, in northern Yemen, “an apparent war crime”.
In recent months, Serbian weapons have been spotted on both sides in Yemen conflict – in the hands of Saudi-backed fighters and with the Houthi troops – although Serbia officially does not export arms to UN-embargoed Yemen.
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