Joint Incidents Assessment Team Refutes Allegations against Coalition Forces

Riyadh, December 27, 2023, SPA -- Official Spokesman of the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) in Yemen Legal Counsellor Mansour Al-Mansour refuted a number of claims raised by global bodies and international organizations on errors allegedly committed by the Coalition Forces to Support Legitimacy in Yemen during their military operations in Yemen.
In a press conference held at the Armed Forces Officers Club in Riyadh today, Al-Mansour reviewed the results of assessing four incidents included in those claims as follows:
“With regard to what was received by JIAT during their field visit to (Aden) by the National Commission to Investigate Alleged violations to Human Rights in Yemen (NCIAVHR) that the Coalition Forces targeted (Aden Hotel) in (Khurmaksar) directorate of (Aden) governorate on (07/09/2015).
JIAT vetted the incident, and reviewed all documents, including air tasking orders, daily mission schedule, mission execution procedures, after mission reports, daily events log for the Coalition Naval Forces, satellite images, open sources, the report of the field visit of JIAT to a number of governorates and directorates in the Republic of Yemen, Coalition Forces rules of engagement, provisions and principles of International Humanitarian Law and its customary rules, and after assessment of evidences, JIAT found that (Aden Hotel) of the claim is located in (Khurmaksar) directorate of (Aden) governorate, and it is a large multi floors building.
By studying the air missions carried out by the Coalition Forces on (07/09/2015), which is the date of the claim, JIAT found that Coalition Forces did not carry out any air missions in (Aden) governorate.
By studying the daily mission schedule carried out by the Coalition Forces one day before and one day after the claimed date, JIAT found the following:
1. On (06/09/2015) the day before the claimed date, Coalition Forces did not carry out any air missions in (Aden) governorate.
2. On (08/09/2015) the day after the claimed date, Coalition Forces did not carry out any air missions in (Aden) governorate.
By studying the daily mission schedule carried out by the Coalition Naval Forces, JIAT found that there were no maritime targeting operations by Coalition Forces ships in (Aden) governorate during the period from (06/09/2015) to (08/09/2015).
JIAT specialists studied the satellite images of the claimed location on (26/03/2016) after the claimed date, and found the following:
1.No sign of damage on the main building roof.
2.Signs of damage in the lower floors of the building.
3.No traces of damage caused by aerial targeting on the building (Aden Hotel).
JIAT specialists visited the claimed location (Aden Hotel) in (Khurmaksar) directorate of (Aden) governorate. And found the following:
1.Traces of surface weapons shots on the front side of the hotel.
2.Signs of damage on the front side of the hotel.
3.Signs of damage on the first three floors of the hotel, most likely as a result of surface weapons shots.
By studying what was stated in the open sources regarding the claim, JIAT found the following:
1.Signs of damage on the lower floors of the building (Aden Hotel) of the claim, comparable to the magnitude of the effects left by artillery shells.
2.Open sources news was published about a high-ranking official in (Aden) governorate visiting (Aden Hotel), and finding out the size and level of damage suffered by the hotel as a result of being targeted by Al-Houthi armed militia.
In light of that; JIAT found that Coalition Forces did not target (Aden Hotel) in (Khurmaksar) directorate of (Aden) governorate on (07/09/2015), as claimed.
With regard to what was reported to JIAT that on (11/07/2018) an airstrike targeted MR. (A. G.) car when he was driving south of (Al-Tuhyta), which led to the death of members of his family and the destruction of his car, the location of the (car) was not included in the claim.
JIAT vetted the incident, and reviewed all documents, including air tasking orders, daily mission schedule, mission execution procedures, after mission reports, video recordings of the executed mission, satellite images, Coalition Forces rules of engagement, provisions and principles of International Humanitarian Law and its customary rules, and after assessment of evidences, JIAT found that (Al-Tuhyta) directorate is one of the directorates of (Al-Hodeidah) governorate, located in the south-west of the governorate, and its administrative center is (Al-Tuhyta) city.
By studying the air missions carried out by the Coalition Forces on (11/07/2018), which is the date of the claim, JIAT found that the Coalition Forces carried out an air missions on a military target a (cannon) south of (Al-Tuhyta) city, in a vacant area away from the paved roads, using one guided bomb that hit its target.
By studying the daily mission schedule carried out by the Coalition Forces one day before and one day after the claimed date, JIAT found the following:
On Tuesday (10/07/2018) the day before the claimed date, Coalition Forces did not carry out any air missions on cars in the whole of (Al-Tuhyta) directorate.
2. On Thursday (12/07/2018) the day after the claimed date, Coalition Forces did not carry out any air missions on cars in the whole of (Al-Tuhyta) directorate.
By studying the video recordings of the executed missions on the claimed date (11/07/2018), and the day before and the day after, it was found that they were military targets, and there was no (cars) among them.
By comparing the statement of claim with the air mission carried out on the date of the claim, JIAT found that the description of the claim (car) does not correspond to the description of the military target (Cannon).
In light of that; JIAT found that Coalition Forces did not target a (car) south of (Al-Tuhyta) directorate of (Al-Hodeidah) governorate, on (11/07/2018), as claimed.
With regard to what was reported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, that on (26 March, 2022) at (3:00) am and (6.00) pm, two airstrikes hit (Al-Mukram) village in (Kamaran) directorate of (Al-Hodeidah) governorate, causing injury to a number of individuals and destroyed civilian objects, the village is under the control of Al-Houthi armed militia, and according to what was reported that at (3:00) am the first strike hit (Al-Sayyad School), and at (6:00) pm the second strike hit (Mukram Medical center), which is about (30) meters away from the school.
JIAT vetted the incident, and reviewed all documents, including air tasking orders, daily mission schedule, mission execution procedures, after mission reports, satellite images, aerial images, video recordings of the executed mission, the website of the National Information Center in Yemen which contains the health centers and hospitals in Yemen, Coalition Forces rules of engagement, provisions and principles of International Humanitarian Law and its customary rules, and after assessment of evidences, JIAT found that (Mukram) village is located on the western side of (Kamran), (6) km opposite the west coast of Yemen, and the island's strategic importance comes from the fact that it oversees international shipping lines in the red sea, from its western side.
JIAT also found that the Coalition Forces received intelligence information indicating that (two buildings used as the command and control headquarters for hostile naval operations in the red sea, and weapons depot), belonging to Al-Houthi armed militia in (Mukram) village of (Kamaran) island, which is considered to be a legitimate military target, that achieves a concrete, direct and certain military advantage, as the legal protection of the civilian objects lost, based on Article (52) of the First Additional Protocol of the Geneva Conventions and rule (8) of customary international humanitarian Law.
The degrees of verification were available through the monitoring by the reconnaissance and surveillance system of the (two buildings used as the command and control headquarters for hostile naval operations in the red sea, and weapons depot), belonging to Al-Houthi armed militia, in (Mukram) village of (Kamaran) island, which contributes to military actions and supports the war efforts, based on rule (16) of customary international humanitarian law.
Accordingly, the Coalition Forces on (26/03/2022), carried out two air missions on two military targets (two buildings used as the command and control headquarters for hostile naval operations in the red sea, and weapons depot), belonging to Al-Houthi armed militia, in (Mukram) village in (Kamaran) island of (Al-Hodeidah) governorate as follows:
1.At (2:56) am the Coalition Forces carried out an air mission on a military target consist of a (building) in (Mukram) village in (Kamaran) directorate, using guided bombs that hit their target.
2.At (5:55) pm the Coalition Forces carried out an air mission on a military target consist of a (building) in (Mukram) village in (Kamaran) directorate, using one guided bomb that hit its target.
The Coalition Forces have taken the possible precautions to avoid accidental loss or damage to civilian and civilian objects, or in any case, minimize it to the lowest possible, during the planning and execution of the military operation through the following:
1.Reconnaissance and surveillance operations were carried out on the two military targets
2.Choosing the right timing for targeting.
3.Ensuring that there were no civilians before and during the targeting.
4.Using guided bombs which commensurate with the size of the two military targets.
Based on article (57) of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, and rules (15) and (17) of customary international humanitarian law.
JIAT specialists studied the satellite images of the claimed location and found the following:
1.The first target is U-shaped buildings surrounded by a fence.
2.The second target is a building surrounded by a fence.
3.The distance between the two military targets is approximately (25) meters.
4.No distinguishing marks on either building indicating that it is a (medical facility).
JIAT specialists studied the aerial images of the claimed location before and after the claimed date and found the following:
1.The first target is U-shaped buildings surrounded by a fence.
2.The second target is a building surrounded by a fence.
3.No distinguishing marks on either building indicating that it is a (medical facility).
4.Traces of aerial targeting on the first target.
5.Traces of aerial targeting on the second target.
By studying the after mission report of the two executed missions flight, the JIAT found that the bombs hit its targets directly and precisely.
By studying the video recording of the two executed missions flight, JIAT found that:
1.No civilians were seen around the target before and during the targeting.
2.No distinguishing marks on either building indicating that it is a (medical facility).
3.The targeting was focused on the military target.
4.The bombs hit their targets directly.
By comparing what was stated in the claim with mission carried out on the claimed date, JIAT found the following:
1.The claim stated that the targeted took place in (Mukram) village of (Kamaran) island, which corresponds to the location of the two military targets.
2.The timing indicated in the claim corresponded to the timing of the air mission carried out.
3.The claim included that the village was under the control of Al-Houthi armed militia at the time of the targeting, which is consistent with what was reported by the Coalition Forces.
JIAT reviewed the website of the National Information Center in Yemen which contains the health centers and hospitals in Yemen, and found out that it did not indicate any information about the existence of a medical center in (Mukram) village of (Kamaran) island.
In light of that; JIAT found that the procedures taken by Coalition Forces, in dealing with the two legitimate military targets (two buildings used as the command and control headquarters for hostile naval operations in the red sea, and weapons depot) belonging to Al-Houthi armed militia in (Mukram) village in (Kamaran) island of (Al-Hodeidah) governorate, on (26/03/2022), were correct and in accordance with the International Humanitarian Law and its customary rules.
--SPA