Riyadh: A statement was issued today by the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) regarding the allegation that the Coalition Forces targeted (Al-Ghail Health Center) in (Al-Ghail) directorate of (Al-Jawf) governorate on (24/02/2016) as follows:
‘With regard to what JIAT observed in the report issued by Physicians for Human Rights issued on (March 2020), which included that on (24/02/2016) Coalition Forces aircraft dropped three munitions on (Al-Ghail Health Center) in (Al-Ghail) directorate of (Al-Jawf) governorate, at the time, Al-Houthi armed militia were occupying the center and using it as a military center, the attack partially destroyed the building.
JIAT vetted the incident, and reviewed all documents, including air tasking orders, daily mission schedule, mission execution procedures, after mission reports, satellite images, coordinates of the health centers and hospitals provided by the representative of the legitimate Yemeni government in JIAT, the website of the National Information Center in Ye
men which contains the health centers and hospitals in Yemen, Coalition Forces No strike list (NSL), 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-Ghail Health Center) is located in the southern part of (Al-Ghail) city in (Al-Ghail) directorate of (Al-Jawf) governorate, and is in the Coalition Forces No Strike List (NSL).
By studying the air missions carried out by Coalition Forces on (24/02/2016), which is the date of the claim, JIAT found that Coalition Forces carried out an air mission on a military target, consist of (gathering of fighter elements belonging to Al-Houthi armed militia) in a vacant area, (2900) meters away from (Al-Ghail Health Center) of the claim, using one guided bomb that hits its target.
By studying the daily mission schedule carried out by Coalition Forces one day prior and one day after the claimed date, JIAT found the following:
1.On (23/02/2016) one
day prior the claimed date, Coalition Forces did not carry out any air missions on (Al-Ghail) directorate.
2.On (25/02/2016) one day after the claimed date, Coalition Forces carried out an air missions on a military target (gathering of fighter elements belonging to Al-Houthi armed militia), (2800) meters away from (Al-Ghail Health Center) of the claim, using one guided bomb that hits its target.
JIAT specialists studied the satellite images of the claimed location (Al-Ghail Health Center), and found the following:
1.(Al-Ghail Health Center) consist of main (building), and (2) annexes, surrounded by a fence.
2.Traces of damage within the vicinity of (Al-Ghail Health Center), JIAT is unable to determine the cause of it.
By comparing the statement of claim with the air mission carried out on the date of the claim, JIAT found the following:
1.The description given in the claim (Al-Ghail Health Center), does not correspond with the description of the military target (gathering of fighter elements belonging
to Al-Houthi armed militia), in a vacant area.
2.The number of munitions stated in the claim (three munitions), does not correspond to the number of munitions used on the military target by Coalition Forces (one bomb).
3.The location of (Al-Ghail Health Center) of the claim, does not correspond to the location of the military target (gathering of fighter elements belonging to Al-Houthi armed militia), as the distance between them is (2900) meters, which is considered to be a safe distance and outside the side effects of the bomb.
In light of that, JIAT found that Coalition Forces did not target (Al-Ghail Health Center) in (Al-Ghail) directorate of (Al-Jawf) governorate, on (24/02/2016), as claimed.’
Source: Saudi Press Agency