Saudi-led coalition admits wrongdoing in Saada attack
Riyadh, Sep 2 : Saudi-led coalition involved in a Yemen war Saturday admitted the wrongdoing in an airstrike that targeted Yemeni city Saada, pledging to hold those responsible accountable, Al Arabiya reported.
The coalition accepted the findings of the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) on the attack that took place on August 9 in Saada, including the mistakes in compliance with the Rules of Engagement regarding the strike.
The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition expressed regret over the mistakes, extended its sympathies, condolences and solidarity to the families of the victims, and announced its acceptance of the results and findings of the JIAT.
It obliged to revise and enhance its Rules of Engagement, according to operational lessons learned, in order to guarantee non-recurrence of such incidents. It also assured that the victims would be compensated.
On August 9, a coalition airstrike hit a school bus in Yemen's northern province of Saada, killing 51, including 40 children.
Saudi Arabia has led other Arab countries in the war in Yemen that completed its third year in March in support of the Yemeni exiled government against Houthi militias.
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Surat LS candidate Nilesh Kumbhani whose nomination form was rejected suspended from Congress
Ahmedabad, Apr 25: The Gujarat Congress on Friday suspended from the party for six years its Surat Lok Sabha candidate Nilesh Kumbhani, whose nomination form was rejected over discrepancies leading to the BJP's Mukesh Dalal getting elected unopposed.
A statement from the Congress said the party's disciplinary committee decided to suspend Kumbhani after thorough discussion, adding it had come to the conclusion that the nomination form was rejected due to gross negligence on his part or "in connivance with the BJP".
"To be fair to you we have given time to you to explain your case but instead of coming before the party disciplinary committee you have gone incommunicado. After your form was rejected by the authorities, BJP went ahead and got form of other eight candidates withdrawn. This has deprived people of Surat their voting rights," the Congress disciplinary committee headed by Balu Patel said.
"People of Surat and party workers have become very angry due to your action and are expressing their anger in different ways. The Congress party has decided to suspend you for six years from the party," the press note said.
Kumbhani's nomination form was rejected on April 21 after his three proposers submitted affidavits to the district returning officer claiming the signatures on the document was not theirs.
The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated on the same grounds.
In his order, Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi said the three nomination forms submitted by Kumbhani and Padsala were rejected after prima facie discrepancy was found in the signatures of the proposers and they did not appear to be genuine.
Kumbhani, a former corporator from Surat, had unsuccessfully fought the 2022 Assembly polls from Kamrej there.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha constituency on April 22 after all other nominees, including one from BSP, withdrew from the fray one by one on the last day of withdrawing papers.
