JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Joint Incident Assessment Team (JIAT) has announced the findings of nine investigations confirming that targeting operations by coalition forces in Yemen are consistent with international humanitarian law, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
At a press conference at King Salman Air Base in Riyadh on Thursday, JIAT spokesman Mansour Al-Mansour said the inquiries followed allegations from international government and non-government organizations and were based “on the existing evaluation methodology of JIAT and on the standards and principles governing the system of humanitarian International law, the rules of engagement of the coalition forces and the extent of adherence of coalition forces.”
He said the JIAT had studied recent incidents during military operations in Yemen, including the wedding incident in the Bani Qais area in Hajjah province, on the basis of statements made by international organizations and public media.
Al-Mansour reviewed nine cases, including a Human Rights Watch report in November 2015 that alleged that on April 11, 2015, a plane dropped two bombs near the headquarters of the Ministry of Education in the Amran area. The first bomb hit a three-story building where three families lived 20 meters from the Ministry of Education compound, which led to the death of four people.
He said the investigation showed coalition forces carried out an air mission on a brigade barracks about 1,360 meters away from the house. In this military mission, guided bombs were used and all hit their targets.
Al-Mansour reviewed photographs showing that the headquarters of the Ministry of Education compound did not suffer any damage.
He said that by looking at the picture of the house attached to the claim, JIAT found that there were no traces of aerial bombardment. The aerial pictures show that the roof of the house was not damaged by a projectile coming from above.
A second claim filed by Human Rights Watch said that on Jan. 16, 2016, coalition forces shelled Blue Farm plant, which produces medical capsules and tablets, damaging the administration building, store and laboratory, but causing no injuries.
The joint assessment team found that coalition air forces had launched an air strike four hours earlier against a military target north of Sanaa, 13 kilometers away from the suspected site. According to the team’s findings, only one bomb was fired against the target and coalition forces had not attacked the site.
