Report reveals scary number of accidental deaths by small arms [Archives:2004/704/Local News]

According to a recent report released by the Ministry of Interior, carrying arms and tampering with them during 2003 continued to be one of the most prevalent problems in Yemen, especially as many victims were reported last year because of the misuse or criminal use of weapons. Many of the victims were women and children.
The competent security bodies have observed last year sad incidents due to fiddling with small arms in various parts of the country. In some incidents fathers killed their sons, in others sons killed their mothers and there were incidents where a brother, a friend, and in rare cases a passerby were killed. However, most of the victims are usually close relatives, not to mention retaliatory incidents and the settlement of accounts using violent means.
It was also unveiled that the denominator of all these incidents was a result of negligence and fiddling with arms by novices and children, and sometimes by experienced adults.
However, the government is still to blame for the disregard of this issue and its dillydallying in issuing a law for the regulation of carrying arms by the people, not to mention the absence of security, fair judiciary and other factors which cannot be mentioned here.
If we review the statistical indicators prepared by the security apparatuses at the Interior Ministry during last year, we shall find that the Capital Mayoralty Jurisdiction came at the top in terms of crimes perpetration.
According to those indicators the number of gunfire related attacks committed in the capital city has risen to 7,372 forming a percentage of 39.46% of the general total of all crimes committed in Yemen during the same year, followed by Aden governorate which recoded 1,382 crimes while Ibb Governorate came third with 1,257 incidents.
According to those statistical indicators Al-Mahra Governorate came at the bottom of the list where during the same year only 75 incidents were recorded.
——
[archive-e:704-v:13-y:2004-d:2004-01-19-p:ln]