Saudi warplanes attacked the southwestern Yemeni province of Taiz, hitting a gas station in the Maweyah District and causing a major explosion. At least eight civilians were killed, with some reports saying as many as 12 civilians may have died.



The dead included at least four children, and on top of the fatalities, dozens of other civilians were reported wounded. There has been no statement from Saudi Arabia on why this attack was launched.



This is common, however, as Saudi airstrikes have tended to kill a lot of civilians, and it’s seemingly random when the Saudis will feel like offering an explanation or a denial for the killings.



In general, it suggests that there is not particularly good targeting intelligence on Taiz Province, which is inexcusable because it has been one of the central sites of military conflict in Yemen for almost the entire duration of the five year war, and apparently the warplanes still can’t help but blow up a gas station full of civilians.







Author: Jason Ditz Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com. View all posts by Jason Ditz