Saudi Ministry of Defense Briefing: Operation Decisive Storm - April 10

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a summary of the daily press briefing held today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the developments of Operation Decisive Storm. The briefing was conducted by Brig. Gen. Ahmed bin Hasan Asiri, advisor in the Office of the Minister of Defense.

• The strikes continue to support the people's committees and pro-government army units on the ground in their fight against the Houthi militias and their allies.
• The airstrikes are focused on military communication centers inside Houthi military camps and assembly points on military bases or in cities like Saada and Imran. Today, the operations targeted the 125^th and 115^th Brigades near Aden. The coalition also targeted Al-Majd Brigade and the 17^th Brigade near Bab al-Mandab and Camp Al-Swadiah in Al-Bayda'.
• Coalition forces today targeted the Titans Brigade in the north and the 310^th Brigade near Sana'a. A municipal complex which was being used as a command center by the Houthi militias was also attacked in in Dar Saad.  A stadium used as a weapons storage was attacked yesterday in Aden. Houthi militias used tunnels to move weapons in and out of the stadium.
• The coalition is providing air support to people's committees and pro-government tribes in Ateq.
• Coalition airstrikes continue in support of pro-government army units in Al-Bayda, Shabwa and Dalea. Food supplies and relief were air dropped to coalition forces on the ground near Shabwa and Aden.
• The coalition received intelligence that Houthi militias were using schools to store weapons and equipment. The coalition bombed the sites after students were evacuated.
• The Houthis are trying to destroy infrastructure and threaten citizens by using schools, stadiums and civil institutions as shields.
• The coalition acknowledges that targeting Yemen's infrastructure is not a goal of Operation Decisive Storm. However, military necessity dictates that Houthi militias cannot from using infrastructure as protection to prolong their war.
• Fuel shortage in Yemen is attributed to restriction imposed by the Houthi militias on the use of fuel by citizens.
• The coalition continues to target Houthi militia movements.  Houthi militias and pro-Houthi army units are avoiding highways and other paved roads.
• Two Red Cross relief aircraft arrived in Sana'a today. The coalition is trying to facilitate the delivery of Red Cross supplies to the needy in all parts of the country. This will not be an easy task as the Houthi militias control Sana'a airport.  The delivery of relief supplies in areas controlled by the people's committees is going smoothly.
• The coalition is not targeting specific individuals, including former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The coalition is targeting military units, rather than specific people.

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office