June, 06 2016, 02:30pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
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Evidence Counters UK Claims That No British-Made Cluster Munitions in Yemen
Amnesty International has published detailed information rebutting claims by the British government that no UK-manufactured cluster munitions were used by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition during the Yemen conflict which began in March 2015.
NEW YORK
Amnesty International has published detailed information rebutting claims by the British government that no UK-manufactured cluster munitions were used by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition during the Yemen conflict which began in March 2015.
The organization recently found evidence indicating that a British-manufactured "BL-755" cluster bomb was used by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in an attack in al-Khadhra village in Yemen's Hajjah governorate, approximately six miles from the Saudi Arabia border.
On 24 May the UK Minister for Defence Procurement, Philip Dunne, cast doubt on the evidence suggesting it could have come from a previous conflict.
"It is utterly shameful that the British government has sought to evade responsibility, denying the use of UK-supplied cluster munitions in Yemen by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition despite comprehensive and compelling evidence gathered by Amnesty International on the ground," said Lama Fakih, Amnesty International's Senior Crisis Response Advisor.
"By failing to launch an urgent investigation into the use of British-made cluster munitions the UK government is demonstrating a callous indifference to the lives of civilians in Yemen."
Amnesty International's investigation into the use of the "BL-755" cluster bomb in Yemen involved an examination of photographs taken of the weapon at the impact site, inspection of the partially-exploded BL-755 in a de-mining warehouse, and interviews with local eyewitnesses and de-mining experts.
The investigation into the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition's use of cluster bombs in Sa'da and Hajjah governorates near the Yemen-Saudi Arabian border revealed that at least 16 civilians - including nine children - have been killed or injured by cluster submunitions between July 2015 and last month. Saudi Arabia-led coalition air strikes have also killed and injured thousands of civilians in Yemen since the conflict began.
The UK should be calling on the Saudi Arabia-led coalition to cease all use of cluster weapons and urging them to immediately provide the UN with precise locations of cluster munition attacks in order to facilitate clearance and to warn civilians about the risks.
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. Our supporters are outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world - so we work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity. We have more than 2.2 million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries and regions and we coordinate this support to act for justice on a wide range of issues.
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I urge everyone to watch this report by Channel 4 News about Israel’s killing of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil.
“Under international humanitarian law, journalists are afforded the same protection as civilians… If that journalist has a particular sympathy with a particular… pic.twitter.com/uzxCENNUqi
— Hamza Yusuf (@Hamza_a96) April 24, 2026
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CPJ noted that Khalil "received numerous threats prior to her killing, including a reported death threat in September 2024, and public incitement against her by an Israeli military official days before her killing, leading to widespread accusations that she was deliberately targeted. The reported obstruction of rescue operations, claimed by Lebanese government officials, constitute an additional grave violation of international humanitarian law."
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