5 killed by stray bullets from soccer celebration in war-ravaged Yemen
Yemen's winning West Asian Junior Cup 2021 has brought rare joy to all Yemenis, but the joy is mixed with sorrow at civilian casualties from celebratory stray bullets.
SANAA, Yemen — Fireworks and gunfire celebrating a football victory killed five people Dec. 13 in the capital Sanaa and several Houthi-held governorates.
Yemen’s junior football team beat Saudi Arabia in the U-16 West Asian Cup and won the title for the first time in its history in a 4-3 penalty shootout win.
Many people fired bullets in the air, although the Houthi-run ministry of interior in Sanaa called on “all citizens not to fire gunshots during the ceremony to keep citizens safe,"
However, some Yemenis didn’t know about the match. Some were celebrating thinking the war with Saudi Arabia was over, while others thought there was a wedding party.
