KUWAIT, March 27 (KUNA) -- The Saudi-led "Operation Decisive Storm" continued to target Houthi militias and troops loyal to Yemen's ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, as more regional and international support was announced.
Renewed air strikes were launched late Thursday targeting camps of the Special Forces and the Republican Guard Corps in Arhab district to the north of Sanaa, an air defense camp to west of Sanaa, and a number of Houthi camps in Sa'ada, Al-Hudaydah and Al-Dhale'.
The Saudi-led coalition launched the ongoing "Operation Decisive Storm" in response to the appeal of Yemen's legitimate President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi for Gulf and Arab countries to intervene militarily in order to save his country from Houthi militias and to restore its security and stability.
However, Riyadh announced it has "no immediate plans" to launch ground operations in the crisis-hit country, but forces are ready if necessary, a military spokesman said.
Speaking to reporters in Riyadh late Thursday, Saudi Brig. Gen. Ahmad Asiri said the "goals of phase I of the operations were achieved through air supremacy," citing the use of state-of-the-art air warplanes and logistics to destroy air defenses of Houthi militias, attack their airbases, destroy on-the-ground aircraft and ballistic missiles and silence their command and control centers.
He vowed that the coalition would press on with its campaign until goals are reached, and would not allow any "supplies" to reach the rebels and that no party would be allowed to back the Houthi rebellion.
Saudi Arabia has deployed 100 fighter jets, 150,000 soldiers and other navy units, the UAE contributed 30 fighter jets, Bahrain 15, Kuwaiti 15 and Qatar 10 in the operation.
To prove the successful attack, domestic and international flights to and from airports south Saudi Arabia resumed early Friday after a several-hour hiatus.
Except for Abha airport, the air traffic resumed as scheduled in the southern region, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced.
As a sign of growing support for Saudi Arabia and the military action, King Salman bin Abdulaziz had a series of phone calls with regional leaders, mainly His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Egyptian President Abdelfatah Al-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah II, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir.
During their meeting in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, Arab foreign ministers voiced total support for the Saudi-led "Operation Decisive Storm" against Houthi militias, which, they said, came as an immediate response to the appeal of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Backing and defending the military action, Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil Al-Araby said the operation is based on the League's Charter and previous resolutions aiming to resolve the current situation in Yemen.
"The military operation targeting specific Houthi targets in Yemen conforms with the Charter of the Arab League and its resolutions on the situation in Yemen." "It's also based on Article Two of the Joint Arab Defense Treaty," he said, adding that the operation came in response with the call of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi who represents Yemen's legitimacy.
Internationally, US Secretary of State John Kerry, in a conference call with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers, commended the work of the coalition taking military action against Houthi militias in Yemen.
He noted U.S. support for those efforts, including intelligence sharing, targeting assistance and advisory and logistical support, the State Department announced.
The European Union (EU) blamed Houthi actions for escalation in Yemen, with EU High Representative Federica Mogherini saying the latest events in Yemen have dramatically worsened the already fragile situation in the country and risk having serious regional consequences.
She blasted in a statement the advance of Houthi forces and of military units loyal to ex-President Saleh towards Aden, as well as the aerial targeting of President Hadi's compound, as "unacceptable steps towards escalating an already polarized situation". She reiterated EU support to all efforts currently undertaken to address the situation, in particular those of the UN and of regional actors.
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders has voiced support for the Saudi intervention in Yemen and said he is especially pleased that Middle East countries are taking action themselves, according to local media.
"I believe it's a good thing that there is a regional military action. It's important that there is a strong reaction from the Gulf nations and not solely from the international community," he was quoted as saying.
Reynders expressed comprehension for the Saudi intervention in Yemen, "they fear a terrorist presence on their own territory. They are also worried about the conflict spreading to Saudi Arabia or Oman," he added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan contacted Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to reaffirm support for the Kingdom which is leading an operation against Houthi militias.
Erdogan also voiced solidarity with Riyadh in an interview with French network France 24, saying his country is considering the possibility of providing logistical support to the ongoing military operation in Yemen.
The Turkish support for the Saudi-led operation against Houthi targets in Yemen comes in response to the call made by Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has vowed "strong response" to any threat against Saudi Arabia, which is leading a regional coalition against the Houthi militia in Yemen, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's office said.
Sharif chaired a "high-level meeting" in which he said Pakistan enjoyed close and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
"The meeting concluded that any threat to Saudi Arabia's territorial integrity would evoke a strong response from Pakistan," Sharif's office said.
Pakistan would send a delegation, including military officials, to Saudi Arabia on Friday, the statement said.
Pakistan, which has longstanding ties with Saudi Arabia, was considering a request from Saudi Arabia for troops to send to Yemen, the foreign office said on Thursday. (end) mt