Tribal groups ‘aiding anti-Houthi operation’

Several tribal groups have joined the regular legitimate troops in Shabwah, Abyan and Yafie as the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis has targeted caves used by the rebels for ammunition storage.
This was announced on Sunday by Brig. Gen. Ahmad Al-Assiri, a consultant at the office of the defense minister. “Fuel stores have been targeted so they will not be able to make use of these supplies,” he said.
About the tribal groups, the spokesman for the coalition said they announced their loyalty to the legitimate government and their resolve to defend it.
In his daily briefing at the Riyadh Air Base, Al-Assiri reiterated that the Saudi-Yemen border is completely secure and under close monitoring by Saudi forces, while confirming some ground difficulties in such close and mountainous borders.
He said the coalition forces have implemented a nautical blockade at the request of the Yemeni government, giving the alliance the right to inspect ships going to and coming from Yemeni ports, stressing that the coalition would not allow anyone to provide any kind of supplies to the rebels.
In a significant development, Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi appointed his former prime minister as vice president on Sunday. “The president issued an order today appointing Khaled Bahah as his deputy,” a presidential adviser told Reuters.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, meanwhile, pleaded for the resumption of peace talks and called for an end to all military action. Ban, speaking in Doha on the sidelines of a UN crime conference, said the fighting in Yemen should not be allowed to grow into a protracted regional conflict.
Al-Assiri said three aircraft belonging to the Red Cross arrived in Sanaa with humanitarian aid. “Proper coordination is in place facilitating the distribution of aid to the intended civic communities.”
He revealed that the Houthis are banning Yemeni citizens from using fuel and have confiscated such supplies for their military operations.
Coalition forces targeted Houthi positions in Sanaa, Taiz and camps in the Razih area, in addition to a large number of caves in which the Houthis stockpiled military materials.
In addition, coalition forces have targeted military sites in the south of Hodeidah, and targets within the Saada airport. Work is under way to target stores and military camps in the vicinity of Aden, he explained.
Al-Assiri did not rule out the possibility the Houthis might be in possession of chemical weapons. So far, there is no indication of such weapons, but those who have hijacked a country could resort to using them.
“We will deal with them accordingly if when something happens,” Al-Assiri said.
On the port of Aden, he said, all steps have been taken to prevent supplies from reaching the city. “This aims to drain the Houhi capacity and their ability to move.”
The rebels sought to take the fight to the borders in a desperate attempt to drag Saudi armed forces into ground operations, he said. “Our forces dealt with them using artillery and Apache helicopters that resulted in many casualties on their side.”