Coalition Forces save child used by terrorists as human shield

najran (saudi arabia) — The spokesman for the Arab Coalition Forces Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen, Colonel Turki Al Malki, has said that Jameela, a 4-yearold girl used as a human shield by terrorists on Saturday, was safely secured and handed over to a representative of the legitimate government of Yemen.

The girl was reunited with her family in presence of the representatives of International Committee of the Red Cross, Saudi Red Crescent Authority, Human Rights Commission and Director of the Child Protection Unit in the Coalition’s Joint Forces Command.

Col. Al Malki said the Yemen National Army intercepted a military vehicle belonging to the Houthi militia during an operation to liberate Sa’dah governorate. They found a 4-year-old girl dressed as a boy.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the driver was her father, a Houthi militia field commander, carrying advanced tactical weapons. The child was being used as a human shield, as the Houthi militia knew the coalition’s rules of engagement, especially those related to child protection.

The coalition forces, represented by its Child Protection Unit, also provided medical care to the child and arranged the safe transfer of the child to her family.

She was handed over to the government of Yemen in presence of her family and relatives on Saturday. The Joint Forces Command also provided financial aid to the child and her family.

Col. Al Malki reiterated that what the terrorist Houthi militia is doing represents a flagrant defiance of the international humanitarian laws as they recruit children, throw them into the battlefield and use them as human shields to ensure the safety of their movements knowing fully well that they will not be targeted as legitimate military targets. — Wam