A statement issued by the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) regarding the claim that Coalition Forces bombed a civilian house in the residential neighborhood of (Raqqas) in the capital (Sana'a) on (16/05/2019) With regard to what JIAT monitored in some media reports that on (16/05/2019) the Coalition Forces targeted a residential neighborhood in the city of (Sana'a), causing the death and injury of a number of civilians and the destruction of residential buildings, and to what was referred to JIAT by the Coalition Forces considering the possibility of an accidental incident in an operational mission that was carried out on Thursday (16/05/2019), in the capital city of (Sana'a). JIAT vetted the incident, and reviewed all documents, including procedures and Rules Of Engagement, Daily Mission Schedule, After Mission Report, satellite, aerial and photographic images, video recordings of the mission, open sources, and interviews with those involved in planning and mission implementation, provisions and principles of International Humanitarian Law and its customary rules. After the assessment of evidences, JIAT found that based on intelligence information received by the Coalition Forces of a specific location belonging to Al-Houthi armed militia, and is used to support the war effort, which is a multi-storey building located north of (Sana'a) city in an isolated location, and is about (300) meters away from the closest civilian object. With the availability of verification (intelligence information) based on customary rule 16 of customary international humanitarian law, at (8:15) am on Thursday (16/5l2019), Coalition Forces conducted an aerial mission on the military target using two guided bombs, the first bomb hit its target, while the second bomb did not hit the target, the air crew could not spot where it fell. By studying the planning stages of the mission, JIAT found that the task was within the pre-planned task, which means the availability of full planning, and the planners took into account several factors including the targeting angle of attack, type of ammunition, timing and the type of the target to be targeted. JIAT also studied the stages of implementation, and analyzed satellite and reconnaissance images, video recordings of the task carried out, and what was highlighted by the various media reports and found the following: By reviewing the video recordings of the executed task, JIAT found that the target area is free of individuals movement. 2.The targeting designation Pod for the first bomb was directed to the specified military target before and during the targeting, where the bomb directly hit the target. 3.The targeting designation Pod for the second bomb was directed at the specified military target before and during the targeting. 4.The air crew could not spot the second bomb impact point, although the targeting designation Pod was aimed on its specified target, which concludes that the defect was in the second bomb. knowing that the bomb did not fall on its target, the air crew decided to stop the targeting. 5.The air crew also conducted a post-targeting assessment (BDA), and photographed the target area and was unable to determine the location where the bomb fell. By analyzing satellite and reconnaissance images, JIAT found: A. The military target is located in an isolated area away from civilian objects. B. Damages to the military target as a result of an aerial targeting from the first bomb. C. Damages to several buildings which are not close to each other and in different places, and partial effects which are inconsistent at the claimed location about (2500) meters away from the military target. By analyzing Aerial and photographic pictures and open sources images by specialists, JIAT found that the size of the damage in the buildings (of the claim) does not reflect the impact of aerial targeting with one bomb, the effect of a single bomb is limited to the surrounding of the point of impact, while the Aerial and photographic and open sources images showed damages to several buildings which are not close to each other and even in different places, and partial effects which are inconsistent with the effects of a single bomb. Based on the above JIAT found the following: A. The timing of the claim corresponds to the timing of the task performed. B. The location of the claim was in the vicinity of the course of the attack. C. The second bomb did not fall on the military target. D. The executing air crew was unable to determine where the second bomb fell. E. The executing air crew decided to stop completing their mission after it was proved that the second bomb did not hit its target. F. The procedures followed by the executing air crew were correct. In light of that, JIAT reached the following: a. The actions taken by Coalition Forces in targeting the legitimate military target were correct and in accordance with the International Humanitarian Law and its customary rules. B. JIAT see that it is likely that the second bomb fell on the site of the claim, which is about (2500) meters away from the military target, due to a technical defect. JIAT recommends that: 1. The Coalition States provide assistance for human and material losses, as a result of a bomb likely to have accidently fell away from the legitimate military target. 2. Coalition Forces study the reasons why the guided bomb does not fall on its target, and address it to ensure that it will not be repeated in the future. --More 21:48 LOCAL TIME 18:48 GMT 0029 www.spa.gov.sa/w1201861