What others really think is revealed in small ways: Saudis led from the front

Arab News:

Saudis led from the front: Ahmad Assiri

The goals of Phase I of the operations were achieved through air supremacy, said Brig. Gen. Ahmad Assiri, consultant at the minister of defense’s office.
He said state-of-the-art air warplanes and logistics were used to destroy air defenses of the Houthi militia and to attack their airbases, devastate on-the-ground aircraft and ballistic missiles and silence the command and control centers, according to SPA.
He made a presentation of Thursday’s sorties that took the Houthis by surprise. A number of warplanes took part, he said, with the Saudi ones in the front.
Assiri said the operation timed with a number of armed terrorist groups making their way toward the southern border of the Kingdom with Yemen. He said they were completely destroyed by air and land forces warplanes, an operation climaxing the operations.
Later while replying to reporters, Brig. Gen. Assiri answered the reporters’ questions.
On the participation of ground forces in the operations, he said: “Currently there is no plan for the participation of ground forces in the ongoing operation during the current stages, but if necessary, the Saudi ground forces as well as the ground forces of friendly and sisterly countries are ready to deter any aggression of any kind.”
On the expected duration of the operations, the nature of the terrain in Yemen, he explained that the operations will continue as long as there is a need for their continuation to achieve all its objectives and as for Yemeni terrain, all know it is difficult terrain, but the armed forces and coalition’s forces are able to act under all circumstances.
On encountering hostile media, which had claimed that two Saudi aircraft were shut down, Brig. Gen. Assiri emphasized that all the aircraft participated in the operation returned safely to their air bases.
Regarding information that reported on an Iranian attempt to intervene across the sea and that the Egyptian Navy has dealt with this threat, Brig. Gen. Assiri said that the operation’s goals were clear.
“Aerial targets, stressing that the brotherly and friendly countries operate concurrently and in integration with the Saudi armed forces, and the goal is to prevent Houthi militias from damaging the Yemeni people and its neighbors,” he said.
“We won’t allow any supplies for Houthi rebel organization until the end of this operation.”
On the future of military operations in the case of possible transferring to ground operations, Assiri said: In such cases, we have to be at a level of readiness, taking into account all the possible circumstances and the forces are ready to deal with any threats, whether air, land.
Yet, he said, there are no ground operations right now, but if necessary, we are ready for that.
He said the storm’s pilots were able in the first 15 minutes of the raids to have a complete control on the skies of Yemen, a successful achievement of phase I of the operation.
Assiri said Sanaa-based Al-Dilaimi airbase which includes a big number of warplanes, ammunition inventories, maintenance centers and technical support for aircraft was a major goal of the operation.
He explained that each air sortie consists of a big number of aircraft, including the fighters, refueling, early warning, reconnaissance, search and rescue.