Shabwah: The Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) recently issued a statement addressing allegations that Coalition Forces targeted residential homes in Al-Hijrah village, located in the Markhah Al-Sofla directorate of Shabwah governorate, on January 4, 2019.

According to Saudi Press Agency, JIAT conducted a thorough investigation into the claims reported by the National Commission to Investigate Alleged Violations to Human Rights in Yemen (NCIAVHR). The team reviewed various documents, including air tasking orders, mission schedules, execution procedures, and after-mission reports. They also analyzed satellite images and adhered to the Coalition Forces’ rules of engagement, as well as the principles of International Humanitarian Law.

The findings revealed that the Markhah Al-Sofla directorate is situated in the western part of Shabwah governorate, yet no specific coordinates for the alleged location were provided. Upon studying the air missions executed by the Coalition Forces on the claimed date of January 4, 2019, JIAT confirmed that no air missions were conducted over Shabwah governorate on that day.

Further examination of the mission schedules from the day before and the day after the alleged incident, January 3 and January 5, 2019, also indicated that no air missions were carried out over Shabwah governorate on those dates. Consequently, JIAT concluded that the Coalition Forces did not target homes in Al-Hijrah village, as initially alleged.