The Joint Incident Assessment Team (JIAT) in Yemen underlined Tuesday that the Saudi-led Arab coalition was following the necessary measures to ensure the safety of civilians in Yemen, refuting allegations against it by international organizations or media.
Legal Counselor Mansour Al-Mansour refuted a claim against the coalition concerning an attack on the Fish Wealth Headquarters, or “The Old Ice Factory”, in Port Khobah in Hodeidah.
Various media alleged that the coalition had on January 8 carried out airstrikes against the facility, leaving five people dead and five wounded, he told a press conference in Riyadh.
He said the JIAT verified all related documents, including the procedures and rules of engagement, daily mission schedule, post-mission reports, video recordings of the missions, satellite imagery and evidence evaluation, and found that Iran-backed Houthi operatives were in the area.
He said that credible intelligence sources confirmed the presence of a specific number of Yemeni Navy engineer officers loyal to the Houthis, supported by foreign experts, at “The Old Ice Factory”, who were working on preparing a guided-missile and booby-trapped boats.
The militants were therefore considered legitimate military targets and fulfilled the “verification” standards through “credible intelligence” in accordance with the International Humanitarian Law.
Based on the inherent right of self-defense, guaranteed by International Law and in protection of maritime navigation and coalition vessels in the Red Sea, the Arab coalition carried out its attack in Port Khobah on January 8, Mansour stated.
He said that the JIAT reviewed satellite imagery of the operation, post-mission reports and video recordings that show the destruction of “The Old Ice Factory” target.
The recordings showed that no civilians were in the area at the time of the operation, he stressed.
A hangar near the target had sustained partial damage due to a secondary explosion as a result of the strike, he acknowledged.
