Decisive Storm’ targeting Houthi ‘ballistic missiles’

A military spokesman for the Saudi-led Operation “Decisive Storm” said on Sunday that there would be no safe haven for the Houthi militias in Yemen as the coalition’s air power targeted for a fourth day ballistic missiles that had been seized by the Shiite militant movement.

Saudi Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri said that the “work is under way to destroy the remaining ballistic missiles, particularly the mobile ones,” according to the Saudi Press Agency.

He added that “a great intelligence effort is being exerted to determine the locations of those hidden machines by the Houthi militias inside homes and residential areas.”

Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, he said “there is a direct targeting of Houthis,” adding that coalition fighter jets were also targeting anti-air defenses on the ground.

“[The fighters jets] are available around the clock in all of Yemen to prevent a Houthi buildup,” he said.

He reiterated that the coalition remained “vigilant” in order to safeguard civilian lives and infrastructure.

Asiri vowed that “there will be no safe place for the Houthis” and that the air campaign would continue to press against the Shiite militia in northern Yemen.

As in previous briefings, Asiri showed a series of slides from videos showing some of the targets struck in Sunday’s air raids.

Asiri said the raids included one on a Houthi military camp near the Saudi border. He stressed that the Saudi border faced no threats and was secure.

He also said delays in the operation were due to alliance forces not wanting to “attack the infrastructure of the country, including roads, buildings or other facilities the Houthi militias are using.”