Spokesman expresses sorrow, sympathy with kin of victims

“All documents and procedures related to operational planning and implementation were reviewed,” he said.

“It showed that all procedures were correct, but there was a technical mistake that caused the unintentional incident. The review has proven that there was no direct targeting of the alleged house.”

On behalf of the coalition, Al-Maliki expressed deep sorrow over the accident, and sincere sympathy with the victims’ relatives.

“A comprehensive review was conducted of military objectives, planning and checking procedures, compatibility with international humanitarian law, customary rules of targeting and coalition engagement rules,” he said.

The “legitimate military objective” was to target a command and control center belonging to the Houthi militia, he added.

The center was developed near residential areas, and civilians were used as human shields to protect it, Al-Maliki said.

The coalition command “immediately” referred the accident to the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT), he added.

Al-Maliki stressed the coalition’s commitment to international humanitarian law, especially regarding the protection of civilians, and its legal and ethical commitment to the principle of transparency.

Meanwhile, forces loyal to deposed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh clashed in Sanaa with Houthi fighters on Saturday, residents said, marking unprecedented violence within the alliance, Reuters reported.

RIYADH: Investigators have found that a “technical mistake” was behind an airstrike on a house in Sanaa, said Col. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government.