Angry Yemeni civilians call on US to stop drone attacks

US assassination drone strikes have rekindled anti-American sentiments in Yemen as the airborne attacks have mostly resulted in the death of civilians and escalated instability in the impoverished Arab nation, Press TV reports.

Yemenis are demanding that the government take action to halt the killing of civilians in air raids, which they say is a violation of their country’s independence and national sovereignty.

“We regard the use of US assassination drones as an intervention, which has killed innocent people. This is a violation of our independence and beliefs. The continued use of these drones will fuel only more anger,” a Yemeni man told Press TV on Thursday.

“The US deadly drones have hit everywhere in Yemen. Because of this aggression, all Yemenis are united under the fact that this is an aggression and violation of our basic rights,” another Yemeni man added.

Yemenis have held several anti-US protest rallies in the capital Sana’a and other cities in recent months, calling for an end to the deadly US drone attacks.

However, government officials argue that US assassination strikes are needed in the so-called campaign against the al-Qaeda terrorist network, and that the air raids are being carried out with the approval of President Abd Rabuh Mansur Hadi.

“People strongly reject the US intervention in our land. Who will accept foreign intervention in his own land? The Sana’a government is allowing such intervention,” a Yemeni man said.

Washington has been using assassination drones in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia and claims that it is targeting terrorists, but the attacks have mostly led to massive civilian deaths.

The UN has slammed the US terror drone attacks as targeted killings and says they pose a challenge to the international law.

Reports, however, say that the CIA is seeking to expand its covert drone attacks in Yemen, despite the fact that the airstrikes mostly result in civilian casualties.