RIYADH — The Joint Forces Commander Gen. Mutlaq Bin Salem Al-Azaima concluded Tuesday his visit to the stationed units of Saudi Armed Forces and Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Forces at the Kingdom’s Southern border. He also met with commanders of Yemeni combat units participating in Operation “Freedom of Happy Yemen”.

Answering a question regarding Houthi engagement with peace opportunities in the Yemeni crisis, Gen. Al-Azaima said: “The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen came to advocate Truth, champion the downtrodden and alleviate the suffering of the brotherly people of Yemen at the call of their internationally-recognized legitimate government following millions who fled Yemen seeking refuge in Saudi Arabia,

“There were others who took to the sea hoping to reach the Coasts of Djibouti and Somalia in a desperate attempt to escape the brutality and tyranny of the militia. The proactive efforts of the Coalition helped ward off the greater evil that could have affected neighboring countries and sea lines of communication and international trade, and preserve regional and international security.”

The Coalition decided on Sept. 1, 2020, to open every window of opportunity for peace, confidence-building, atmosphere-improving measures and, finally, establish a case against the enemies of global peace through a unilateral pause of all airstrikes for 8 months against all legitimate military targets in cities and military camps regardless of any transgression or provocation., he said.

He added, it also adopted a non-retaliatory approach to pave the way for upcoming peace initiatives. The Saudi Peace Initiative, which was supported by the peace-loving world, came and the Coalition decided to extend its unilateral ceasefire for another 8 months, exercising prudence to create an atmosphere conducive to the pursuit of peace.

This was in order to put a stop to the repetitive subterfuge, and expose the defamatory falsehoods that have plagued this Peace Initiative, which was faced with presumption, further transgression and continued hostilities.

In these 16 months, in which we halted all military responses to hostilities, the Houthi militia has committed, all but not limited to, the following blatant violations of the International Humanitarian Law, he said.

He listed them as:

• Launching (109) missiles and (414) bomb-laden drones against civilians and civilian objects.

• Threatening SLOCs and International Trade in the Southern Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandan Strait by launching (52) bomb-laden USVs, and Deploying (110) Naval Mines.

• Targeting civilian airports such as Abha International Airport, Najran Airport and King Abdullah Airport in Jazan, desalination plants, Aramco oil facilities and vital civilian installations in Riyadh and Dammam.

• Targeting all Saudi border cities.

He said, when the United States revoked the designations of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) the rate of bomb-laden drones launched by Houthis on February 2021 quadrupled, reaching (98), they have also targeted Aden Airport upon the arrival of the Yemeni Prime Minister and members of the Yemeni Cabinet.

He continued, moreover, the militia has also destroyed the residences of the governor of Marib and Sheikh Al-Hajouri in addition to their continued destruction of schools, markets and gas stations, and conducted strikes against IDP camps in Marib.

The militia has also occupied numerous cities and villages e.g. (Madghal, Malboudah, Al-Mashjah, Al-Mahiliah, Bayhan, Osaylan, Ain, Hareib, Al-Abdiyah, Al-Joubah, Al-Balaq, Markhah, Jabal Murad, As Sawadiyah and Al-Sawma’ah).

Additionally, the Houthis have placed weapons and bomb-laden drones depots within densely populated civilian areas among humanitarian facilities, hospitals, hotels and INGOs in areas under their control. And to conclude this long list of violations, they have hijacked (3) commercial ships, he said.

In conclusion, Gen. Al-Azaima said: “All of this has happened under the public glare, with all humanitarian and rights’ organizations standing idly by. What peace is expected from this miscreant militia!” — SPA