Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri says, in today's briefing, that coalition forces
disrupt movement of Houthi militias, attack bases and sites that were dug in
http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/details.php?id=1351595

Riyadh, Jumada II 30, 1436, Apr 19, 2015, SPA-- Brig. Gen. Ahmed bin Hasan
Asiri, consultant in the defense minister's office and spokesman of the
coalition forces, said that Air Force's operations continued following the
movements of the Houthi militias on the ground, disrupting their movement
and attacking the bases and sites that were dug in, indicating that the
results are being felt on the ground.

During the daily press briefing at Riyadh airbase, which he held today,
Asiri said during the last twenty four hours, the Air Force carried out more
than a hundred sorties, reaching 106 sorties during the past twenty four
hours, pointing out that their aim was to continue pressure on the Houthi
militia elements, camps and ammunition assembly points and at the same time
assert the achievement of the full objectives that have already been set for
the air campaign.

He indicated that during the past twenty four hours, the work focused on
Saada region, Sanaa, its outskirts, ammunition depots located there and
locations of ballistic weapons storage; they also targeted Aland area where
there was support for the operations of the People's Committees on the
ground, pointing out that Taiz still needs a lot of work to support the work
of brigade 35 against the Houthi militias that are carrying out acts of
sabotage.

Brigadier Asiri said that the situation in Aden is improving day after day
adding that operations were confined to Mualla area and Khor Makasar in
which the militias are entrenched in a defensive position, and noting that
the People's Committees are now searching for weapons and ammunition sites
inside houses and among them.

He pointed out that work is still continuing to support the People's
Committees and their work on the ground. The hit-and-run operations carried
out by militias from time to time gives a positive indication that the
supply operations and logistics that come from outside of Aden have become
very weak.

He said that the targeting of most ammunition storage sites which were
located in the outskirts of the city of Aden and in stadiums and caves made
the groups inside isolated, although they still possess large quantities of
ammunition stored and potentials discovered by the People's Committees daily
during the searches, indicating that the militia turned homes into
warehouses for ammunition, launchers of anti-armor and explosives in large
quantities.

Brigadier Asiri said that the most important operations that were carried
out on Saturday were targeting a warehouse of military machinery and
equipment in the vicinity of the city of Sanaa, stores of missiles,
entrances to caves, ballistic missiles and their launchers, the majority of
vehicles and launchers to prevent their use by the militia. The targets
included attacking warehouses in caves in the area Sanaa, disabling them and
preventing their use by the militias and the disruption of the roads leading
to these warehouses.

Brigadier Geneal Asiri confirmed that coalation forces are tageting military
vehicles and equipment to prevent the militias from taking advantage of them
and targeting farms and housing areas that have become sites to store
ammunition and equipment and operation planning centers; in addition to
targeting the Saada region in northern Yemen. He pointed out the targeting
of command centers in one hotel that the militias have used as a residential
and command center for their elements, as well as military vehicles which
were assembled in centers of one brigade.

He said that according to available information to the coalition forces, the
militias were planing to carry out a certain action toward the Saudi
borders, and therefore the coalition forces disabled bridges or rafts that
help the movement in order to prevent these militias from moving toward the
Saudi borders.

He said that the coalition forces tageted on Saturday one of the camps which
contained a large number of vehicles and other equipment in addition to
targeting caves used to store ammunition in northern Yemen areas in and
around Sa'ada region. He asserted that there was no violations of the Saudi
borders because the Saudi ground forces carried out a lot of work in the
rear using mortars and artillery.

He reported that the Saudi ground forces for the first time used mortars at
distances farther inside the rear where they targeted sites from which the
elements that targeted Almanarah site at night came. He said that there were
no such cases during the past 24 hours. He did not rule out the continuation
of skirmishes by the Houthi militias from time to time indicating that the
ground forces are doing their job in cooperation with the border guards.

He mentioned the continued naval operations concerning the sea embargo and
visit and inspection of ships heading to and from ports and facilitating
movement of ships coming from Djibouti carrying relief materials, drawing
attention to the arrival of another ship to the port of Aden carrying food
and relief material to ease the suffering of Yemeni citizens and improve
their living conditions.

He reported that the air campaign carried a total of 2300 sorties including
operations that took place during Sunday afternoon.

With regard to air defenses, Brigadier Asiri confirmed that coalition forces
targeted a percentage of 95 to 98% of the potential captured by Houthi
militias and which was under the control of the Yemeni army. He added that
what remains with them is only a few short range artillery pieces that will
not have an impact on subsequent operations. He stressed that air
sovereignty was absolute and coalition aircraft were flying day and night at
any time and anywhere freely.

He said that coalition forces neutralized all command, control and
communications centers, reminding that the militias have no communication
any longer, no command and control and no centralized planning. He added
that the actions carried out by the groups are isolated as those in Shabwa
are fighting in Shabwa and have no communication with those in Dalea or in
Saada or Sanaa or other places due to the targeting of all means of
communication, which was used for this purpose. They also no longer have
command and control but isolated operations. This is the case also near the
Saudi borders and therefore these militias and their supporters from the
rebels of the Yemeni army have no longer any means of command and control in
the military sense, he said.

Brig Asiri stressed that there is no longer a threat of ballistic missiles
on the territory of neighboring countries.

He stated that the percentage of what has been destroyed is over 80% but he
did not rule out the existence of some warehouses within the hotels and
basements of hospitals, stressing that the coalition forces sought since the
beginning of the operations not to target infrastructure and populated areas
and not target populations, adding that ammunition stores were targeted and
no information on the presence of an ammunition dump was neglected but it
was dealt with and destroyed.

Brig Asiri explained that all maintenance and manufacturing workshops were
targeted, indicating that there is a desire by these groups to reorganize
their work and withdraw equipment that has been destroyed and repair them.

The spokesman of the coalition forces stated that brigade gathering sites,
cars and locomotives were all targeted to prevent the movement of these
militias asserting control of coalition air forces of the air space, sea
waters and ports of the Republic of Yemen and thus cutting supply to the
militias within Yemen and from abroad.

Brigadier Asiri asserted that all clashes that happened along the border
were limited and the Houthi militias and their supporters were unable to
carry out any ground action of value or impact on the southern border of the
Kingdom of saudi Arabia, pointing out that one of the goals set for
operations of Determination Storm is prevention of any threat to the
kingdom's borders.

He explained that the operations of the coalition forces since their
inception have a positive effect on paving the way for the subsequent stage,
stressing that what has been achieved in the past few days was due to the
hard work, careful planning, intelligence work, the perseverance of all
coalition countries and personnel of the coalition's air force and land and
naval forces to reach the results that are almost the objectives of the
first phase.

He explained that the next phase of air operations will focus on three main
objectives: prevention of the Houthi militias' operational movements on the
ground that have become slow, protection of civilians, humanitarian action
and alleviation of the suffering of Yemeni citizens, through providing
support and facilitating the evacuation and humanitarian relief operations
procedures, referring to the the existence of a committee formed for this
purpose to facilitate the evacuation and relief operations and access to
Yemeni ports and airports with ease and as quickly as possible.

The coalition spokesman confirmed that the relief work must be carried out
through the command of the coalition and no parties within Yemen are
entitled to give permission to any aircraft to go to Yemeni airports except
through the command of the coalition to prevent any violations or errors
that force these aircraft to land and undergo customary investigate
procedures in such cases.

--SPA
00:58 LOCAL TIME 21:58 GMT