The Coalition’s Command announces that campaign against Iranian-Houthi militia is moving forward in accordance to plans
Saudi Ambassador to Yemen expresses hopes that no more advanced weapons will reach Iranian-Houthi militia via the port of Hudaydah as he announces comprehensive humanitarian assistance plan.
RIYADH, December 21 (CIC) – Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, said that the Comprehensive Plan for Humanitarian Assistance and Development in Yemen will include 11 humanitarian initiatives to aid the Yemeni people.
“Saudi Arabia is committed to helping our Yemeni brothers and has secured humanitarian corridors through land, air, and sea to deliver the maximum aid possible while limiting the smuggle of weapons and artillery to the Iranian-Houthi militias,” Al-Jaber said during a press conference late on Wednesday in Riyadh.
Since the Iranian-Houthi missile attack on Riyadh on November 4, and the re-opening of the Yemeni ports on November 13, the Coalition has delivered 435,067 tons of food supplies, 396 tons of medical supplies, and 332,988 tons of miscellaneous humanitarian aid.
Coalition spokesperson Colonel Turki Al-Malik, also speaking at the conference, commented on the Coalition’s announcement on Tuesday to extend the opening of Yemen’s Hudaydah port to humanitarian supplies and allow entry of commercial ships including fuel and food for a period of 30 days:
“After a comprehensive review, we met with the UN representatives to guarantee that there are no arms going to the Iranian-Houthi group. The Coalition will monitor the results of the intensification of security inspection procedures and the response of Iranian-Houthi militias. In the past, plans to hand over Hudaydah port to a neutral party were blocked by them,” Al-Maliki said.
The Coalition issued 340 permissions for airborne humanitarian aid, delivering 196 tons of aide, and carrying 13,741 passengers.
“At the moment, more than 85 per cent of Yemeni people live in areas that are under the control of the legitimate Yemeni government. The solution in Yemen would not be a comprehensive military campaign on all fronts,” said the Coalition’s spokesperson.
According to Col. Al-Maliki, following the December 4 assassination of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, some of the former forces loyal to Saleh have joined the legitimate Yemeni government.
“We welcome all the forces joining the legitimate Yemeni government that strive to get rid of the Iranian-Houthi militia, which is purposefully retarding the peace process by threatening international security,” Col. Al-Maliki added.
He further condemned the launch of an Iranian-Houthi missile at civilian targets in Riyadh on Tuesday December 19 in clear violation of international humanitarian law.
“The missile was aimed at populated residential areas in the Riyadh region. There are technical reasons why ballistic missiles can only be intercepted close to the target, but Saudi Royal Air Defense forces monitored the launch and it was intercepted and destroyed south of Riyadh without any losses or casualties,” Col. Al-Maliki said.
In total, 83 ballistic missiles and 65,942 artillery shells were launched at the Kingdom by the Iranian-Houthis over the past two years, according to Col. Al-Maliki.
The Coalition’s spokesperson added that these aggressive and arbitrary acts of targeting civilians by the Iranian-Houthi militia with ballistic missiles is clear evidence of the continued use by the Iranian-Houthi militias of relief work channels to smuggle Iranian missiles to inside Yemen.
“We welcome the condemnation of the Iranian-Houthi missile launch at Riyadh by the U.K. and the U.S. governments, among others. It is time the international community realizes the importance of stopping international terrorist groups supported by Iran that are threatening not only the security and safety of the Kingdom, but also of the region as a whole,” Col. Al-Maliki added.
The Coalition is using advanced intelligence to monitor the ballistic missile launch facilities provided by Iran to its proxies in Yemen, including thermal vision, to identify missile launch-pads and the launchers.
According to evidence presented recently by the Coalition, the Iranian-Houthi militias are using underground facilities in Yemen’s Saada governorate as warehouses for missiles and warheads. These facilities have been repeatedly targeted and destroyed by the Coalition after careful intelligence verification procedures during reconnaissance operations.
Following the Coalition airstrikes on such targets, explosions continue for hours, which is proof that the Iranian-Houthi militias possess sophisticated explosive devices and warheads in these locations, and are a clear evidence also of Iran’s violation of UN resolutions 2216 and 2231.
