Legal Counsel Mansour Al-Mansour, spokesman for the Yemeni Joint Incident Assessment Group, refuted several allegations by UN bodies and international organizations about mistakes made by the coalition legitimacy forces in Yemen during their military operations inside Yemen.
Claim about the shelling of a car in the Radaa area
With regard to what was stated in the report of the Panel of Experts on Yemen, published on January 26, 2022, which states that coalition forces attacked a car in the Radaa area in the province (Al Bayda) in connection with two (specific) events, resulting in the death of one person and the injury of two women.
Al-Mansour explained that the Joint Incident Assessment Team conducted a fact-finding and investigation of the incident and after reviewing all documents, including air missions order, daily task inventory schedule, mission procedures, post-mission reports, satellite imagery, rules of engagement . for coalition forces, the principles and provisions of international humanitarian law and its customary rules after evaluation of the evidence; The joint team found that the coordinate given in the application was next to a building in a small village in the (Rada) area in the northwestern part of the province (Al Bayda).
Specialists of the joint team studied satellite images of the location of the military facility, and the following was established:
1. A military facility is located in an open area free of civilian objects.
2. The presence of traces of air guidance at the site of the combat target.
By comparing what was stated in the claim with the air mission completed on the date of the claim, the joint team found a discrepancy (location, time, target description) in the claim with the completed air mission.
Alleged violation of human rights
Regarding the fact that in the (ninth) periodic report on the work of the National Committee to Investigate Allegations of Human Rights Violations in Yemen for the period from 08/01/2020 to 07/01/2021, it was indicated that at (9:00) in the morning of 09/20/2019 in Al-Mansaf district of Al-Matma district in Al-Jawf province, a car was hit by an aircraft missile, causing loss of life and damage Al-Mansour explained that a joint accident assessment team had searched and investigated the facts of the accident.
He continued: “Examining the air missions carried out by the coalition forces on September 20, 2019, the date given in the statement indicates that the coalition forces did not carry out any air missions in (Al-Jawf), and that the nearest military target that was dealt with coalition forces is located in (Saada).” It is located 98 km from the place of the claim.
Air raid claim on Kafla hospital
With regard to what the joint team monitored in open sources for the report of the organization (Physicians for Human Rights) issued (March 2020 AD), including that on 04/28/2015 coalition warplanes carried out an air strike on (Al . -Kafla Hospital), as a result of which (4) civilians were injured.
Al-Mansour explained that the Joint Accident Assessment Team conducted a fact finding and investigation of the incident after examining all documents, including the air operations order, and examining the air operations carried out by the coalition forces on April 28, 2015, on that date. the statement notes that the coalition forces did not carry out any air operations in the governorate (Amran) and that the nearest military target that the coalition forces managed was in the governorate (Saada), which is 63 km from the place of the claim.
Claim of an air strike on a house in the Al Hoq area
With regard to what was stated in the memorandum of the group of experts on Yemen dated 11/12/2021, which stated that at 12:30 on February 28, 2021, coalition aircraft launched an airstrike that hit (a house) in the area (Al-Hawk) of the Governorate (Al- Hodeida) in a certain coordinate. As a result, there were casualties and injuries, and according to the information received by the group, the incident was caused (by an air raid or a drone), Al-Mansour confirmed that the Joint Accident Assessment Team had studied and investigated the facts about the incident.
The joint team also studied (space imagery) the website of the prosecutor’s office and found the following:
1. The object (house), which is the subject of the claim, is located within the residential area.
2. There are no signs of destruction and damage as a result of guidance from the air on the building or adjacent buildings.
In light of this; The Joint Incident Assessment Team concluded that on February 28, 2021, coalition forces did not strike (a house) in the (Al Hoq) area of the province (Al Hodeidah) as claimed.
