Al-Assiri: Safety of Yemeni citizens our main priority

Al-Assiri: Safety of Yemeni citizens our main priority
Updated 30 April 2015
Follow

Al-Assiri: Safety of Yemeni citizens our main priority

Al-Assiri: Safety of Yemeni citizens our main priority

Humanitarian aid was among the priorities of the coalition while providing protection to all nationals including India, China and Pakistan, the Saudi-coalition announced on Monday, reaffirming the evacuation of 11 Red Cross workers.
Brig. Gen. Ahmad Al-Assiri, a consultant at the Defense Minister’s office, said that they are facilitating additional flights to evacuate other nationals, emphasizing the coalition’s commitment to facilitate the evacuation according to agreed procedures.
“The safety of Yemeni citizens remains our top priority,” said the official.
Al-Assiri said: “The Houthi militias are still showing hostile acts against the population and citizens — not military targets — stressing that work is continuing with the People’s Committees and tribes, who have begun heading to Aden to help the resistance there in defense of the city.” 
According to the spokesman, the terrorists freed dangerous Al-Qaeda members in a desperate attempt to gain the group’s support to fight with their side.
“They (terrorists) are fighting with hit-and-run tactics as they have no option except to mingle within the population to avoid coalition fire, while also under fire from regular Yemeni forces and the People’s Committees,” he noted adding that the Houthis are slowly becoming isolated and have no option but to cause panic in the community.
He said air operations are ongoing and logistical aid is also reaching its targets.
The Kingdom’s borders are being strongly guarded and monitored by Saudi forces.
Al-Assiri said that within 24 hours they have destroyed military camps, ammunition stores and targeted the Oqan bridge leading from the north toward Aden, which was being used for militia movement, explaining that the coalition does not intend to totally destroy these bridges but some parts of them would prevent the Houthis from using them.
Some roads leading to Aden were also targeted for the same purpose, he said.
With respect to ground operations, he said ground forces and border guards are in place, attending to their functions on covering the entire southern border of the Kingdom.
He said that there were no attacks reported.
According to Al-Assiri operations are in place to monitor the ports and facilitate the evacuation of nationals from countries such as India, China and Pakistan by sea, in addition to activities to prevent smuggling to and from the Yemeni islands. Naval and air surveillance continues.