Brig. Gen. Ahmed bin Hasan Asiri, consultant at the minister of defense's office, said today that the 'determination storm' operation is continuing for the third day in a row, confirming that it has today achieved part I of its projected goals. He announced that the Houthi militias are no longer possessing any jet fighter or any command and control over any airbase or outside the airbases in Yemen. In his third daily briefing on the campaign, which he held at Riyadh airbase, Asiri said the air alliance forces today targeted ground-to-ground ballistic missiles launching pads with most of them have been devastated, he said. We cannot rule out that the Houthi militias resorted to keeping in stores a big amount of them, he said, adding that work is underway to spot them. He said that the alliance forces are also targeting Houthi concentrations, ammunition stores, equipment and supplies as well as their personnel movements among the regions so as to wipe out continuing military operations the Houthi militia is conducting towards Saudi border with Yemen or towards Aden in the south. He reiterated yesterday's announcement that the alliance forces are of full control over the Yemeni skies. He said today's operations targeted the remaining command and control centers, and ammunition and armaments inventories throughout the country, confirming the strictness of operations without harming innocent citizens. He added that the operations also targeted the fortifications of the Houthi militias accommodating their leaders or individual gatherings along the border between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. He displayed a number of video slides showing the sites targeted by the alliance forces, noting that no citizens were hurt in the fighting. He asserted that the operations would continue over the coming days to block the continuing Houthi troops, vehicles, equipment or supplies moving from anywhere to any direction. He cited the demolition of a specific building in which ammunition, arms and equipment are hidden. The neighboring buildings were not touched, he said, adding that a vehicle carrying a Houthi leader was shelled with precision. He said the Houthi militia are taking residential homes of citizens as hideouts and stores for their equipment, and sometimes installing anti-aircraft equipment on top of civilian buildings to attract the alliance to bombard them and commit killing of innocents. Quite aware of this plan, our forces are going to wait until the buildings become empty of citizens, he concluded. He disclosed that the Houthi militias and other pro-armed-groups opted to shelling residential areas with Mortar bombs to confuse Yemeni citizens that the alliance forces were shelling at them, but that would definitely be clear through differentiating mortar shells from aircraft bombs. He said the process of attacking ammunition and arms stores has intensified, particularly after the alliance forces have completed the attacking of anti-craft missiles and cannons. Meanwhile, the Houthi militia are busy moving their elements towards the southern parts of the Kingdom, he said, adding that they are confronted by the Saudi land forces. Our land forces in Jazan and Najran sectors targeted several concentrations in the past period, using field artillery and Apache to stop the Houthi troops from redeploying near the Saudi southern border, he said, adding that such operations are continuing. On the other naval side, Brig. Gen. Asiri disclosed that the Saudi Royal Naval Forces have launched over the last two days what they called 'Tornado Plan' carried by the Saudi navy, using its battleships, aircraft, helicopters and commandos to evacuate Saudi citizens, and members of diplomatic missions from Aden province to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In this concern, 86 persons from 12 nationalities, including media representatives and diplomats, were successfully picked into Jeddah this morning, he announced. In response to questions from the floor, Brig. Gen. Asiri denied any resistance by Houthi militia to the air operation. On the possibility of a ground forces operation to repel the Houthi concentrations heading for the Southern border of the Kingdom, he said the Saudi ground forces are currently evaluating the situation on the ground, using field artillery and Apache aircraft to respond to the situation accordingly. About reports on a crash of an F-15 in the Red Sea, he attributed the incident to a technical fault, confirming the safety of the pilots, citing one as already returned to work and the other sustaining hand injury and drawing attention to the possibility of losses in any military operation. Asked on the progress of Houthi militias towards Aden, he said the 'determination storm' operation is being implemented according to a timetable to achieve its goals, noting that the coalition forces are facing militias which moves in individuals and light groups among residents and not organized army, requiring the coalition to exert greater effort to remain committed to not harm civilians. In this regard, we continue assessing the situation, he said. On the delay of evacuating UN personnel from Sanaa, he said the alliance gave the okay to the planes to pick them, but the Houthi militias on the ground are the ones who caused the delay.
