RIYADH: A mistake led to an air strike on Abs Hospital in Yemen’s Hajah Province on Aug. 15, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) said.
Earlier, aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) claimed Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit a hospital in Yemen killing 7 people and wounding 13.
Confirmed intelligence was provided that Houthi rebel leaders were gathering in Abs city, and coalition forces closely monitored the site, JIAT spokesman Mansoor Ahmed Mansour said at a press conference held at the Eastern Sector’s King Saud Air Base on Tuesday.
“A vehicle was observed leaving the site and was therefore targeted and directly hit by an airstrike,” Mansour continued, “The target was near an unidentified building that eventually turned out to be a hospital.”
“After reviewing the investigation results, it turned out that targeting the vehicle (a legitimate military target) caused the unintentional damage of the nearby hospital,” Mansour added.
He pointed out that JIAT expresses its regret at this unintentional incident and recommended that proper compensation be offered to the victims’ families. He also said that those responsible for the incident would be held accountable.
Mansour also commented on the allegation of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden that the coalition targeted a food factory owned by Abdullah Ahmad Al-Aqel (honorary Swedish consul) in Sanaa on Aug. 9, killing 16 workers. He pointed out that the probe carried out by JIAT indicated that coalition forces did not target the aforementioned factory.
He elaborated that on that day (Aug. 9) coalition forces hit two targets: The first was telecommunications antennae used for military purposes in the (Mount Ayban) about 7km away from the factory, and the second was a cave located south of Sanaa, used for military purposes, about 10km away from the factory.
As for MSF’s allegation of the targeting of Al-Fadhil School by coalition airstrikes in Saada Province on Aug. 13, killing 10 children and injuring at least 9 people, Mansour said that the school was never targeted. He pointed out that coalition forces on that day (Aug. 13) targeted warehouses of weapons and ammunition belonging to Houthi militia — about 10km away from the school.
JIAT: ‘Unintentional mistake’ led to airstrike on Yemeni hospital
JIAT: ‘Unintentional mistake’ led to airstrike on Yemeni hospital
Saudi Cabinet condemns ‘blatant’ Iranian aggression; affirms Kingdom’s right to respond to threats
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has warned it reserves the “full right” to respond to Iranian aggression following a series of “blatant and cowardly” strikes targeting the capital and the Eastern Province.
The warning came during a late-night Cabinet session on Tuesday, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman via videoconference, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
During the session, the Cabinet “reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s full solidarity with the brotherly countries whose territories were subjected to blatant Iranian aggression”, signaling a united front against regional threats.
The session followed a dramatic escalation of hostilities, including a direct drone attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh.
Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, confirmed that while air defenses intercepted multiple threats, the embassy compound sustained a “limited fire and minor material damage.”
General Al-Malki further announced that Saudi forces successfully intercepted and destroyed eight additional drones targeting the cities of Riyadh and Al-Kharj early Tuesday morning.
In a sharp rebuke of the embassy strike, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) cited a flagrant violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
“The repetition of this flagrant Iranian behavior... will push the region toward further escalation,” the Ministry stated, underscoring that these provocations occurred despite Riyadh’s explicit policy of not allowing its airspace or territory to be used as a launchpad for strikes against Iran.
Global condemnation and solidarity
The Cabinet expressed deep appreciation for the wave of international support as world leaders condemned Tehran’s “indiscriminate” behavior.
In a joint show of force, the US and GCC member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) along with Jordan stood united, labeling the strikes a “dangerous escalation” and reaffirming a collective right to self-defense.
Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and India. — including Prime Minister Narendra Modi — voiced strong solidarity with the Kingdom. The UK government confirmed its forces are engaged in “defensive actions” to maintain regional stability.
Amid the heightened military tension, the Cabinet reviewed the Kingdom’s hospitality efforts for GCC citizens currently stranded at Saudi airports due to regional airspace closures. The crown prince reaffirmed that the state would mobilize all capabilities to support brotherly nations in any measures they take to restore regional peace and stability.
