Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser reported the Defence Ministry had started a process to cancel a contract signed between Spain’s former government and the Gulf Arab state in 2015 to sell 400 laser-guided bombs. The arms deal was originally signed in 2015 under Spain's former conservative government, but the new center-left administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez plans to return the 9.2 million euros ($10.6 million) already paid by the Saudis, Cadena SER radio reported on Tuesday. The broadcaster said the bombs would have been used in Yemen, where U.N. human rights experts have said air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition have caused heavy civilian casualties and some may amount to war crimes. Amnesty International and other human rights groups have denounced Western arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its allies in a war which the United Nations says has killed more than 10,000 people and left 8.4 million on the brink of famine. The campaign, backed by Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Intermon Oxfam and Spain's FundiPau, also wants to end exports of weapons to Israel, a country they accuse of violating international laws in Palestine territories.
Spain confirms that it has cancelled the sale of 400 laser-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia because of concerns about the weapons' use in the conflict in Yemen.