Brig. Gen. Ahmed Hasan Asiri, Coalition Forces' Spokesman and Advisor at the Office of the Minister of Defense, stressed that the Coalition forces carried out, during the 24 past hours, 130 air strikes targeting 100 sites in Sadaa, Maran, Albiqaa and the borders between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen, 'the air operations focused on targeting headquarters of the Houthi leaders and command and control in addition to offices of the Houthi leadership, including 17 Houthi leaders,' he added.

In a press conference held here at Riyadh Airbase, Asiri stressed the three main objectives of Operation Renewal of Hope, including prevention of the Houthi movements in Yemen, protection of the Yemeni citizens and facilitation of the relief and humanitarian works in Yemen, 'the latest developments over the past two days through targeting the Saudi cities added a new factor to the operations carried out during the 24 past hours. Therefore, we have two parallel operations, including the military support of the Operation Renewal of Hope and, at the same time, response done by the Saudi Armed Forces and Coalition Forces against those who carried out attacks on the cities of Najran and Jizan,' he added.

Brig. Gen. Asiri pointed out that the airstrikes of the Coalition Forces and the Saudi Air Force took place following warnings to civilians, in Saadah and Miran to leave them for the sake of their safety, expressing deep sorrow that the Houthi militia dared to prevent civilians from moving out of the two cities, through establishing checking points, controlling pumping stations and using civilians as human shields.

He explained that the strategy and tactics of the Houthi militias on the ground is to use the civilians as human shields as a guaranteed means, to avoid being targeted, asserting that the warning was clear from the Command of the Coalition Forces, as targeting them and the strikes are against the spots, where the Houthi militias are trenching, drawing the attention to the fact that retaliation to the Houthi attacks along the border of the Kingdom is continuing.

Asiri announced that the two sectors of Najran and Jazan are calm today, pointing that the Royal Saudi Land Forces, the Border Guard, the National Guard and the Command of the Coalition are working around the clock to prevent such acts, even if they are to take place, would be deterred and retaliated.

The Coalition Forces have carried out operations, in Aden, targeting positions of the Houthi gatherings and their supply and provision lines. Hit and run tactics are going on among the People Committees and Yemeni Forces loyal to the Legitimacy on one side and Ali Abdullah Saleh loyalist and the Houthis, on the second. The latter are positioning in some quarters, in Aden, but the Command of the Coalition is working, in parallel with operations, in Saadah and Miran, in Northern Yemen, and other operations, in Aden and Maarib to support People's Committees and the tribes on the ground, facilitate their movement and prevent the movement of the Houthis and their supporters.

Security of the Yemeni citizen is equal to that of the Saudi citizen, Asiri emphasized, reiterating the call to all civilians in Saadah and Miran, who have no relationship with the Houthis to leave, confirming that the operations will continue this night to hit militia positions, as they hide behind the Yemeni citizens, inside hospitals and other governmental buildings.

Airstrikes which have been carried out yesterday targeted ammunition depots, inside centers of command, hospitals and schools, because it was a stockpile re-used by the militias, henceforth it was targeted, drawing the attention that the explosion that has taken place yesterday was a sign that the spot was ammunition depot, while the second was a site dedicated for stockpiling ammunition, in order to attack Saudi territories, in addition to fuel stolen from the citizens and fuel stations to be stockpiled, by the Houthis, to prolong their operations, Asiri said, stressing that the Coalition Forces operation will persist till its goals are achieved and that the leaders of the militias and their loyalists will not find a way out to hide nor they will find a safe lodge, pointing that within the last 24 hours no any attempt to penetrate the Saudi border has been recorded, due to the operations that taken place in the depth of the militias' positions to prevent their movement towards the Saudi border.

On the naval actions, Asiri said that the Command of the Coalition is continuing through the naval ships, in the high seas, which pay visit for inspecting all means that shuttle through the territorial waters, where they are stopped to be inspected and ascertained of their loads and the identities of their users, to prevent any smuggling attempts and to prevent the militias and their loyalists form moving out of Yemen, and coincidently, prevent any supply to reach them.

Then Asiri answered reporters' questions.

In response to a question on the role of the coalition forces to convince innocent citizens to leave Saadah, he said the coalition has previously alarmed Yemeni citizens to leave Saada and drew the attention that they have a role in convincing Houthi soldiers to allow departees to quit Yemen and abandon the tactic of taking the risk of using people as human shields.

Moreover, there are Yemeni tribes who are qualified to change the balance on the ground, noting that it's a joint task and responsibility to be shared by the citizens, tribesmen, Yemeni army loyal to the legitimacy to provide support for people against this militia.

Asked to confirm reports that deposed Ali Abdullah Saleh has dared to use or store nuclear warheads in Sanaa, in particular, in Jebel Neg, Asiri said he has no idea to such reports, saying that no such idea has been circulated in Yemeni northern border.

Asked to give a certain period or a time-frame for such a truce to survive, he said the Houthis have rejected all ceasefire initiatives, citing the UN resolution No. 2216, the Yemeni president's initiative to call for a political dialogue, and the monarch's proposal to establish King Salman center for relief and humanitarian works in Riyadh, moves being rejected by the Houthi militias.

He said the operation restoration of hope aims at evacuating foreign dependants stranded in Yemen, providing support for relief and humanitarian works and adding that the unit formed to achieve this vision has issued more than 340 license for aircraft and transit landing at Saada from multi-origin nationalities.

He said the Houthi group is trying to market its lies through social outlets and other media, but our citizens depend on differentiating between facts and lies.
Source: SPA