http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/world/middleeast/saudi-led-coalition-says-it-bombed-yemen-funeral-based-on-false-information.html 2016-10-15 16:57:19 Saudi-Led Coalition Says It Bombed Yemen Funeral Based on False Information The attack killed at least 100 people, and the admission was a rare acknowledgment by the coalition that it had hit a civilian site. === BEIRUT, Lebanon — A Saudi-led military coalition involved in The strikes, which hit Sana’s fanciest reception hall while the prominent family of a rebel official was receiving condolences, were carried out on the basis of “false information” provided by Yemeni officials that indicated the presence of armed rebel leaders at the site, according to The attack was one of the deadliest of Yemen’s war and led the United States to announce “an immediate review” of its support for the Saudi-led coalition that is bombing Yemen’s rebels. It has also led to renewed calls from human rights organizations and some American lawmakers for the United States to halt or delay weapons sales to Human Rights Watch Yemen’s conflict began in 2014 when rebels from the country’s north, known as the Houthis, allied with rogue army units and stormed the capital, pushing the internationally recognized government into exile. Last year, Saudi Arabia formed a military coalition that has been bombing the rebels, seeking to dislodge them from the capital and restore the government. All of the warring parties have been accused of war crimes, including indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas and the recruitment of child soldiers. The United Nations says more than 10,000 people have been killed, and much of the country is short of food. In the statement, the investigative body said it had examined the “unfortunate and painful event” and concluded that a party affiliated with the Yemeni military had passed along reports that armed rebel leaders were at the site, information “that later turned out to be incorrect.” A coalition jet immediately carried out the strikes, before procedures devised to protect civilian sites had been followed, based on the belief that the hall was “a legitimate military target,” the statement said. It did not say which country commanded the jet involved. “The site was wrongly targeted, which resulted in the wounding and loss of civilian souls,” the statement said. While the statement did not name those believed to be responsible, it said that they should face “the necessary legal procedures” and that the coalition should provide “appropriate compensation” to the wounded and the relatives of the dead. It did not say how the coalition would determine who deserved compensation or how it would be delivered to those living in rebel-held territory. There was no immediate comment from the rebels or from Yemeni officials. The statement was a rare acknowledgment by the Saudi-led coalition that it had struck a civilian site. It has been accused throughout the war of bombing markets, schools, hospitals and weddings without military justification. In August, the aid group The coalition has responded to criticism by saying the Houthis and their allies put civilians in danger because they fight and store weapons in civilian areas.