Saudis end air campaign in Yemen, seek political solution

Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday it was ending a month-long campaign of air strikes against the Houthi rebels who seized large areas of Yemen and said it would back a political solution to bring peace to its war-ravaged neighbor.

“Operation Decisive Storm has achieved its goals …(including) removing the threat to Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries, especially in terms of heavy weapons,” said a statement carried by Saudi state news agency SPA.

It said a new phase called “Operation Restoring Hope” was beginning. It would combine political, diplomatic and military action but would focus on “the political process that will lead to a stable and secure future for Yemen.”

Saudi spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri said the alliance may still target Houthis. “The coalition will continue to prevent the Houthi militias from moving or undertaking any operations inside Yemen,” he told reporters in Riyadh.

“The United States welcomes today’s announcement by the government of Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners of the conclusion of Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen,” said Alistair Baskey, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

The Saudis called for a quick resumption of U.N.-facilitated talks to try to get a peaceful political arrangement for Yemen, which has a long history of internal fighting.

President Barack Obama warned Iran on Tuesday not to send weapons to Yemen that could be used to threaten shipping traffic in the region.

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that 944 people were reported killed and 3,487 wounded in Yemen in the four weeks up to Friday.

Rana Sidani, a WHO representative, said the toll only covered data reported to the Ministry of Health by hospitals and the actual number of casualties was likely much higher.

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Source:Reuters