A Saudi-led coalition Saturday said "mistaken information" from its Yemeni allies was behind an airstrike that killed an estimated 140 people at a funeral in the rebel-held Yemeni capital Sana'a.
The airstrike last Saturday killed a number of prominent political figures, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and prompting the United States to announce a review of its support for the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen's Houthi rebels.
A statement from an investigation team said that Yemeni military loyal to Saudi-backed President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi had provided information that armed Houthi leaders would be present at the site of the airstrike, which hit a large and well-known funeral hall in Sana'a.
An aircraft in the area was then tasked to carry out a strike without the permission of the coalition's command and without following procedures intended to prevent civilian casualties, the statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency said.
The investigation team added that legal action should be taken against those responsible for the strike and compensation paid to the victims.
In September last year the UN called on the coalition to halt its air campaign, saying it was responsible for the majority of the conflict's civilian casualties.
Previous coalition strikes have killed over 130 guests at a wedding and hit hospitals, prompting medical charity Doctors Without Borders to pull out of rebel-held northern Yemen.
The Houthis and their allies have also been accused of repeatedly causing civilian casualties, notably by shelling residential areas.
