Use of Explosive Weapons with Wide Area Effect in Populated Areas

Human Rights Watch identified from a time series of satellite imagery 210 distinct impact locations in built-up areas of the city consistent with aerial bombardment as of May 19, 2015. The satellite imagery shows that these attacks damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings.

Human Rights Watch’s on-the-ground investigations confirmed that airstrikes have caused significant damage to buildings, streets and markets around the city. Impact craters and damage to buildings at some sites indicate that coalition forces on several occasions used aerial bombs of at least 1,000 pounds in attacks on the city. Bombs of this size can destroy structures and injure and kill people hundreds of meters from the impact point.

The May 9 attack on the market in front of the Imam al-Hadi mosque, for example, wounded one man who was in his home near the window when a munition struck, completely destroyed about a dozen small shops, and caused significant structural damage to residential houses on both sides of the market. The strike created a six-meter wide crater. Human Rights Watch researchers did not find any weapon remnants at the scene of the attack that would have allowed them to determine the specific weapon used.

At a government building in Saada City, Human Rights Watch photographed the remnants of an MK-83 air-dropped 1,000-pound bomb made in the US.

At the site of other attacks Human Rights Watch saw several explosive remnants of war, but was unable to determine the specific type of weapons used or draw further conclusions based on the remnants alone. Saudi Arabia and other members of the coalition have not disclosed information on the types or quantities of weapons used in the airstrikes.

Human Rights Watch investigated specific attacks that appeared to violate the laws of war because they were indiscriminate or disproportionate. Indiscriminate attacks are those that do not differentiate between civilians and combatants; disproportionate attacks are those that cause civilian loss excessive in relation to the anticipated military gain from the attack. Moreover, as a matter of policy, warring parties should not use explosive weapons with wide area effect in populated areas because of the clear risk to civilians.[24]