The following shocking footage was captured on the runway of Aden Airport in Yemen. As the newly formed Yemeni government arrives on the runway, they are targeted by what appears to be either a suicide drone or a missile. As the scene turns into all-out chaos, gunfire erupts in the confusion.
Despite the carnage, the reporter stands firm to capture the incident. In the following video filmed from a different angle, the suicide drone or missile can clearly be seen hitting the runway and detonating. Many have since claimed that the drone is indeed a missile attack.
One of our readers pointed out that, despite being blurred and fast-moving, the shape, and length of the weapon suggests that it is an MLRS style missile, which is very common in the conflict in Yemen. However, these weapons are known for being fairly inaccurate, so it landing even this close is a bit of a surprise if it is one. Also, the fact that it explodes into a fireball suggests improperly balanced “homemade” explosives, rather than military munitions.
THE WAR IN YEMEN
The attack on the new Yemeni government is yet more violence resulting from the ongoing war in Yemen which erupted back in 2015. It’s a conflict that is largely fought between two factions: the Yemeni government led by the Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi armed movement, alongside their supporters and allies. Both sides claim to constitute the official Yemeni government.
“My view is that we shouldn’t be supplying the Saudis with arms while they’re bombing civilians in Yemen and, by the way, while they’re arming al-Qaida and it’s fighting our own counterterrorism operations in Yemen.â€
– Ro Khanna
The war has significantly destabilized Yemen and introduced various terror groups to the region in the form of Al-Qaeda and ISIS who have carried out a series of attacks since the war began. Al-Qaeda in particular controls significant territory across Yemen especially along with the coastal areas.
Saudi Arabia is heavily involved in the conflict and actively opposes the Houthi movement. They have controversially launched devastating air strikes upon Yemen throughout the conflict. The Saudi campaign is backed by the United States who has been providing the Saudi military with intelligence and logistical support. The United States and the United Kingdom have also both been active in supplying Saudi Arabia with the weapons used in the devastating airstrikes. Various analysts view the war in Yemen as an extension of the proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. It’s accepted that the war is largely a means for Saudi Arabia to combat Iranian influence in the region.
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The Saudi Arabian bombing campaign on Yemen has resulted in widespread civilian casualties and has subsequently been slammed by various governments around the world. The Yemen Data Project estimates that, as of March 2019, almost 18,000 civilians had been killed or injured in Saudi Arabian airstrikes. Overall, the war in Yemen is believed to have killed over 100,000 people. Alarmingly, Yemen is also currently in the grip of starvation that threatens to become the worst global famine seen in the last 100 years and poses a threat to 13 million civilians.
The Reaper Feed combat footage sector functions as a library and resource base for combat footage captured in various conflict zones around the world. It is in no way intended to glorify violence, war, or any of the armed groups depicted in the videos. It is strictly educational.
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