Saudi Expresses Strong Reservations over Misleading UN Report on Yemen

 Abdullah Al-Mouallimi, the Kingdom's permanent representative to the UN, delivering his speech before the UN General Assembly on Saturday. — SPA
Abdullah Al-Mouallimi, the Kingdom's permanent representative to the UN, delivering his speech before the UN General Assembly on Saturday. — SPA
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Saudi Expresses Strong Reservations over Misleading UN Report on Yemen

 Abdullah Al-Mouallimi, the Kingdom's permanent representative to the UN, delivering his speech before the UN General Assembly on Saturday. — SPA
Abdullah Al-Mouallimi, the Kingdom's permanent representative to the UN, delivering his speech before the UN General Assembly on Saturday. — SPA

Saudi Arabia rejected on Friday information and numbers listed in a UN report that blames the Saudi-led coalition for killing or injuring 683 children in Yemen, describing the report as “inaccurate and misleading.”

Saudi UN Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said in a statement that his country exercises the maximum degree of care and precaution to avoid civilian harm.

Also on Friday, sources close to the situation in Yemen said there is evidence provided by the Yemeni National Committee for Investigation proving that Houthi militias falsified the death certificates of children who were claimed dead in the Coalition air strikes.

“There are more than 100 falsified death certificates, which prove that the numbers listed in the UN Secretary General’s annual Children and armed conflict report (CAAC) were inaccurate,” the sources said.

In a press conference held on Friday in New York, the Saudi ambassador said: “the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the coalition reaffirm that it is taking important measures to protect civilians during all military operations to end the suffering of the Yemeni people and minimize the humanitarian cost.”

In a report submitted to the UN Security Council on Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres blacklisted the Saudi-led coalition for its 2016 actions.

The Saudi diplomat said his country had reservations on listing the Arab Coalition in the second section of the UN report concerning the situation of civilians and children in Yemen.

“We reject the inaccurate and misleading information and figures contained in the report that were gathered from biased sources and we express our strong reservation with respect to this information.”

Al Mouallimi blamed the Iran-allied Al Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen’s ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh for putting civilians at risk, including using children as human shields.



Lebanese Army Denies Reports Claiming Militant Infiltration and Troop Withdrawal in Bekaa

Lebanese army units deploy on the Lebanese -Syrian border (File/Reuters) 
Lebanese army units deploy on the Lebanese -Syrian border (File/Reuters) 
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Lebanese Army Denies Reports Claiming Militant Infiltration and Troop Withdrawal in Bekaa

Lebanese army units deploy on the Lebanese -Syrian border (File/Reuters) 
Lebanese army units deploy on the Lebanese -Syrian border (File/Reuters) 

The Lebanese Army on Sunday denied reports alleging the infiltration of armed groups into Lebanon and the army's withdrawal from border areas in the Bekaa region.

In an official statement posted on its X page, the army said, “Further to previous statements, the Army Command denies what is being circulated on a number of social media sites regarding the entry of armed persons into Lebanon and the withdrawal of the army from border areas in the Bekaa.”

The statement affirmed that “the relevant military units continue to carry out their regular missions to control the Lebanese-Syrian border, in addition to monitoring the security situation internally to maintain stability and prevent any threat to civil peace.”

The Army Command then called for maintaining accuracy in reporting news related to the military institution and the security situation, and refraining from spreading rumors that could lead to tension among citizens.