Yemen Conflict

Kuwait Upto Date • March 27, 2015 • 4 Comments

Saudi Arabia and a coalition of regional allies have launched a military operation in Yemen against the Houthi rebels, who deposed the US-backed Yemeni president last month. Adel al-Jubair, Saudi ambassador to the US, said on Wednesday that a coalition consisting of 10 countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), had begun airstrikes at 7pm Eastern time.

“The operation is to defend and support the legitimate government of Yemen and prevent the radical Houthi movement from taking over the country,” Jubair told reporters in Washington. The Houthi-run health ministry in Sanaa said that at least 18 civilians were killed and 24 others were wounded in the Saudi-led airstrikes on the capital. Huge explosions were heard in Sanaa as strikes hit an airbase at Sanaa airport and other locations in the capital, an AFP correspondent reported.

Strikes were also reported on targets in the Malaheez and Hafr Sufyan regions of Saada province, a main Houthi stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia. US Secretary of State John Kerry held a conference call with Gulf ministers to discuss the Yemen crisis, a senior US official said.

The top US diplomat “commended the work of the coalition taking military action against the Houthis” and noted Washington’s support “including intelligence sharing, targeting assistance, and advisory and logistical support for strikes against Houthi targets,” the State Department official said.

“The ministers all expressed their support for political negotiations as the best way to resolve the crisis, but also noted that it is the Houthis who have instead waged a military campaign,” the US official said. Citing Saudi military sources, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV channel reported that 100 Saudi warplanes were involved in the operation, dubbe Decisive Storm.

The United Arab Emirates is participating with 30 jets, Bahrain with eight, Morocco and Jordan both with six. Sudan reportedly offered three war planes to assist the operation, Al Arabiya reported.

Jordan confirmed to Al Jazeera that it was participating in the offensive. An Egyptian official told AFP news agency that Egypt would also take part. Saudi Arabia said that another four Muslim countries including Pakistan wanted to participate in the Saudi-led military coalition.

Kuwait’s defence ministry announced it was sending three squadrons of its F18 Super Hornet aircrafts to Saudi’s King Abdulaziz airbase in Dhahran to take part in the Yemen offensive.

Pakistan, which has longstanding ties to Saudi Arabia, was examining a request from Riyadh to join the coalition, Islamabad said. “I can confirm we have been contacted by Saudi Arabia in this regard. The matter is being examined,” foreign office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.

Source : Al Jazeera

Kuwait’s Interior Ministry called all active forces to duty and leaves were suspended yesterday. Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Khaled Al-Sabah, chaired a meeting of top officials to review the security plan to safeguard the country.
Source : KuwaitTimes

Yemen Conflict was last modified: March 27th, 2015 by Kuwait Upto Date