Supporters of the Houthi movement shout slogans at a pro-Houthi rally in Sanaa, Yemen, March 17, 2017.

Saudi Arabian Defense Minister, Major General Ahmad Assiri, announced that since the beginning of its operations, the forces of the Arab coalition in Yemen have worked in two axes.

The first is to carry out military operations and reduce the capabilities and influence of the militias. The second is to build the military establishment from day one, pointing out that the alliance will not allow the Houthi militias in Yemen to become as the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

Assiri, speaking at a seminar in Paris, said that military operations in Yemen were being carefully conducted to protect civilians, adding that “the Houthi militias in Yemen have established command and control centers among civilians.”

He also considered that “the rush in the implementation of military operations in Yemen may lead to losses, and that the policy of besieging the militias in Yemen is leading to effective results.”

Assiri explained that the legitimacy forces have made progress in Yemen and that the political leadership has returned to Aden. He also confirmed that the alliance cooperated with the Yemeni forces to defeat al-Qaeda.

He stressed that the Arab coalition “seeks a comprehensive political solution that satisfies everyone”, saying that the solution in Yemen should include the implementation of international resolutions and the will of the Yemenis, refusing to accept any “mid-solutions that makes the Houthis part of the solution in Yemen.”

Civilian security

He said that the legitimacy forces in Yemen are working to train young people in the security sector and the war against terrorism. He added that the coalition does not use non-guided free-fall bombs since they are dangerous to civilians. He also explained that the military operations in Yemen are taking place in dangerous areas because of the density of the population.

He explained that the coalition is implementing a maritime ban, not a blockade; meaning that they make sure who is using the waters, which challenges those who claim that the siege led to a famine.

He said that the coalition forces have given more than 6,000 permits to international bodies to work inside Yemen, saying that there are organizations that report on Yemen which are not even there.

Humanitarian crisis

He added that the port of Hudaydah is important, because it provides money, weapons and communication to the militias. But the port, according to Assiri, has become the source of the diversion of weapons inside Yemen instead of aid.

He said that the port of Hudaydah has become a base for targeting the traffic navigation in Bab al-Mandab, revealing that the alliance was clear to the international community “either inspection or submission to the legitimacy forces.”

Attacking journalists

For his part, Yemeni Information Minister Muammar Al-Iryani said that the Houthis had turned against the elected president and launched small wars against him.

He added that the international organizations revealed a terrible reality for journalists in Yemen. “It came to the point of carrying out assassinations against journalists by the rebels.”

He considered that the rebels took control of all the media who are against them, and there is no longer any truth to any information. He said that the death sentence against the Yemeni journalist was issued after a trial of only 10 minutes.

Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Ahmed Asiri