Saudi Ministry of Defense Daily Briefing: Operation Decisive Storm - April 17

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a summary of the daily press briefing held today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the developments of Operation Decisive Storm. The briefing was conducted by Brig. Gen. Ahmed bin Hasan Asiri, consultant at the Minister of Defense's office.

• Houthi militias are currently in a defensive posture at the expense of the civilian population and public institutions.
• The coalition coordinated yesterday's operations against the Houthi militia and its allies in Zanjibar with people's committees.  
• Coalition forces carried out air strikes targeting sites in Baqim, Baghaa, Saada and Taiz. The forces also implemented operations in Al-Baidha in support of the resistance on the ground.
• The coalition has forced a civilian aircraft, which had no authorization to leave Yemen, to land at Jizan Airport. The pilot is being questioned.
• Saudi Border Guards arrested 110 people attempting to enter Saudi Arabia. Many of those arrested were from the Horn of Africa living in Yemen, mostly in the north.  Since they were not armed, they will be treated as illegal immigrants.
• The majority of Yemeni tribes are aware of their responsibilities towards the legitimacy, security and stability of Yemen. However, there are some tribal chieftains, who for either for financial gains or lack of comprehension of the severity of the crisis in Yemen, have committed acts contrary to the interest of Yemen, including storing weapons for the Houthis or allowing them to establish in their areas. These actions are unacceptable and the Yemeni government is in contact with these chieftains regarding the consequences of their actions.
• The Yemeni vice president yesterday urged the remaining military units who have not yet rejoined the legitimate government that time is running out.
• The coalition warned any armed groups that do not support the legitimate government risk being targeted.
• There is no need for a humanitarian truce as the coalition has not rejected any requests by humanitarian groups that coordinate with the coalition from entering Yemen. The coalition urged these groups to apply for permission prior to arriving in Yemen and that they comply with the approved flight schedule to avoid delays or possible mistakes.

The webcast of the briefing is available here. For updates on Operation Decisive Storm, please visit www.operationdecisivestorm.com

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office

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