Stop weapons sales to Saudi: rights groups

Top rights groups yesterday urged the United States and other nations to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia after it was accused of killing hundreds of civilians in its year-long air war in Yemen.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on Washington, London and Paris to stop weapons deliveries to Riyadh, which is leading a mainly Sunni Arab coalition that launched air strikes against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen on March 26 last year.

The UN human rights chief said last week that more than 3,200 civilians had been killed in the last year, with the vast majority of those deaths caused by coalition strikes.

London-based Amnesty called on Washington and London to "halt all transfers of arms for use in the Yemen conflict" which is being used to commit 'appalling crimes'.

HRW also urged the United States, Britain and France to suspend all weapons sales until Saudi Arabia curtails its air strikes. Saudi Arabia is the world's second-largest arms importer and the United States and Britain are its main suppliers.

Riyadh launched the intervention in Yemen last year after Shiite Huthi rebels seized control of large parts of the country, including the capital Sanaa, and forced the government into exile.

Rights groups have aaccused the coalition of carrying out indiscriminate bombings, including through the use of cluster bombs.