Thousands of Yemenis Gather in Front of UN Office in Sana'a in Protest Against Saturday's Attack

In response to the bloody attack on Saturday at a mourning ceremony in Sana'a that resulted in the deaths of at least 140 people, thousands of citizens in Sana'a protested in front of the UN office in the city, chanting slogans against the Saudi Arabian government. The attack on Saturday targeted the mourning ceremony for Sheikh Ali Al-Ruwaishan, the father of the Houthi government's interior minister, and left 525 wounded. The Houthis and their close ally, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have pointed fingers at the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia. This coalition has denied conducting airstrikes in the area and stated that it is prepared to conduct investigations into the causes of the incident alongside the United States. The attack on Saturday is considered one of the deadliest in Yemen since the Saudi intervention and the Arab coalition's involvement in April 2015. Meanwhile, Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, has called for an independent investigation into the attack and for the perpetrators to be punished, emphasizing that 'deliberately targeting civilians is unacceptable under any circumstances.' The Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, is the only party in the Yemeni conflict that uses fighter jets against the other side, and although the nature of this attack is not yet fully clear, the U.S. has announced it will review its support for this coalition. Initial reports indicate that the casualties included military and security forces affiliated with the Houthi rebels as well as individuals loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, including Major General Abdulqadir Hilal, the head of the local council in the capital. Additionally, reports from Sana'a indicate that Jalal Al-Ruwaishan, the Houthi government's interior minister, was severely injured in the incident. After the failure of peace negotiations in Yemen, the Houthis dissolved their Revolutionary Council and formed a Supreme Political Council in alliance with supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh, which has recently tasked the former governor of Aden with forming a national salvation government. Meanwhile, the internationally recognized government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, which the international community recognizes as Yemen's legitimate government, has been based in Aden after being ousted from Sana'a. Reports from AFP indicate that on Sunday, protesters in front of the UN office in Sana'a also chanted slogans against the United States. Furthermore, images released by news agencies show that some protesters were armed. Meanwhile, Reuters published statements from former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Sunday, emphasizing the need to intensify attacks against Saudi Arabia. In these televised remarks, Saleh referred to the bloody events of Saturday in Sana'a, stating, 'I call on all sons of the nation to head to the front lines and confront this aggression with all their might.' He called for the 'Ministry of Defense, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, and the Ministry of Interior to take necessary measures to confront at the borders.' Similar statements were made by Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis, during the protests on Sunday, emphasizing the need for a swift response against Saudi Arabia. In the wake of the deadly attack in Yemen, the U.S. is 'immediately reviewing' its support for the Arab coalition.