Aden ‘not under Houthi control’

The Kingdom-led military operation in Yemen has been intensified from the air and at the country’s ports to cut off support to the Houthis, a consultant at the defense minister’s office, said on Thursday.
Briefing reporters at Riyadh Air Base on the eighth day of military operations, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Al-Assiri said: “The military operation by coalition forces entered its eighth day with a more intensified air campaign and maritime blockade to completely besiege the ports.”
Responding to a question, he said no coalition troops have started ground operations in the port city of Aden, but has “imposed a blockade on all ports in Yemen to deny external support to the Houthis.”
He said the fight for Aden was continuing and rejected reports that the Houthis had taken control of the southern port city.
Once the ports are blocked, there is a plan for coalition troops to enter the city, to prevent the Houthis from advancing further.
The Kingdom’s ambassador to the US said Saudi Arabia has no “formal” troops on the ground in Aden but deployment of ground troops remains a possibility.
“The issue of using ground troops is always something that is on the table,” Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir said at an event in Washington, according to a report carried by Reuters news agency.
He also said that former President Ali Abdullah Saleh has no role to play in Yemen’s future.