Assessment team clears coalition of wrongdoing in Yemen
Strike on water plant in Hajjah was due to an operational error and the coalition has vowed to assist victims’ families
Dubai: The Saudi-led Arab Coalition fighting in Yemen has been cleared of intentionally bombing civilian sites in Yemen.
A spokesman for the Joint Team to Assess Incidents in Yemen, Ahmad Mansour, said that coalition fighter jets were targeting an arms depot of Al Houthi anti-air craft missiles in Hajjah when it swerved and hit a water plant on June 30, 2015.
Mansour said the coalition had apologised for the “unintentional” incident and “vowed to provide appropriate assistance to those affected”.
In regards to the alleged coalition bombing of a prison in Hodeidah in October 2015, Mansour said the building was used by Al Houthis to store weapons and to hold meetings.
Mansour also denied that coalition forces targeted a hospital in Hodeida in October 2015.
The target in this area was a weapons silo approximately 500 metres away from the hospital.
Mansour backed up his claim with satellite photos of the damaged areas, pointing out that the hospital and the surrounding buildings were not hit.
He also said reports from the International Red Cross about bombing civilian areas in the Al Houthi stronghold of Saada in November 2015 were false.
