Yemen Accident Assessment Team Exposes False Claims by the Houthis and the Brotherhood, Refutes Narratives of International Organizations
The latest report issued by the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) in Yemen revealed Houthi lies and allegations, fabricated fabrications and charges made by Brotherhood militias against the Arab coalition, in addition to false information provided by international organizations and UN bodies regarding mistakes committed by the Coalition for the Support of Legitimacy forces in Yemen during its military operations.
During a press conference held at the Armed Forces Officers Club in Riyadh the day before yesterday, Mansour Al-Mansour, the official spokesman for the Joint Incidents Assessment Team in Yemen, reviewed the results of four evaluations of incidents included in these allegations.
On 8 December 2020, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that coalition forces carried out an airstrike around Sana’a airport between 6:00-6:30 GMT, during the scheduled landing time of the organization’s aircraft.
Al Mansoor explained that the JIAT investigated the incident and reviewed all documents, including the air tasking order, daily tasking schedule, mission execution procedures, post mission reports, satellite imagery, rules of engagement of the coalition forces, principles and provisions of international humanitarian law and its customary rules, and after evaluating the evidence; “The joint team found that coalition forces had not conducted any aerial missions near the Sana’a airfield under prosecution, and that the closest military target the forces had engaged was in Amran Governorate, 22 kilometers from Sana’a Airport, using a single guided bomb that hit the target.”
With regard to the final report of the Panel of Experts on Yemen (2019) issued on 27 January 2020, it was stated that on 4 April 2019, at about 2 a.m., a water truck was hit by an air raid in Al-Suwaydiya district in Al-Bayda governorate; A number of civilians were killed.
The Joint Fact-Finding Team investigated the incident and, upon review of all the documents, including the Air Mission Order, determined that Coalition Forces conducted no aerial missions in Al-Suwaydiya District, Al-Bayda Governorate, and that the closest Coalition military target was located in Sana’a Governorate, 158 km from the coordinates of the claim, using a single targeted bomb that hit the target.
As for international and human rights statements about coalition airstrikes on a detention center in Saada city and initial reports of deaths and injuries among prison inmates, the joint team found that the camp targeted was the Central Security Camp, located in Saada city and approximately 2,400 meters south of Saada airport.
The joint team also found that coalition forces had received intelligence information indicating that a camp was being used in Sa’ada City, Sahar District, to support the war effort of the Huthi armed militia. Intelligence reports indicated activity by individuals armed with the camp, military vehicles and vehicles, unusual continuous movement, and surveillance of SAM6 air defense platforms. After checking the coalition forces database, it was determined that the camp was a Central Security Camp, and that it was captured by the Huthi armed militia.
“The strikes hit the basement of a building at the camp used as a weapons and munitions depot, camp facilities to store and equip drones and launch camps, a building used as a headquarters for the team overseeing activities, and a ballistic missile launcher, the report said.”
With regard to the observations made by the joint team in the report issued by Physicians for Human Rights in March 2020, on 4 September 2015, Coalition aircraft dropped two bombs on Al-Karama Hospital in Ta’izah district in Ta’izz governorate. The attack severely damaged the hospital building; He was suspended and a civilian was killed in the attack.
Regarding the allegations of targeting al-Karama Hospital, the JIAT found that on September 3, 2015, coalition forces conducted an air mission on a military target in al-Taiziya district, Taizz governorate, 7,500 meters away from al-Karama Hospital, where the claim was filed.
A day after the prosecution’s date, coalition forces did not carry out any air missions in Taizz Governorate, the prosecution’s area.
“The JIAT has refuted many of the allegations made by Houthi and Brotherhood militias about targeting the Central Security Camp.”
Al-Mansour said the coalition’s targeting procedures are correct and comply with international humanitarian law and its customary rules.
