Coalition: ‘We Have Carried Out Operations to Target Houthi Leaders’

Colonel Turki al-Malki. Reuters
Colonel Turki al-Malki. Reuters
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Coalition: ‘We Have Carried Out Operations to Target Houthi Leaders’

Colonel Turki al-Malki. Reuters
Colonel Turki al-Malki. Reuters

The leadership of the coalition forces in support of legitimacy in Yemen stressed targeting senior Houthi leaders during the past few days.

It said that it will reveal the details of these operations after confirming the information that it is currently gathering and said that Houthi militias are using "Sam-7" missiles.

The coalition’s leadership considered that the peace opportunity with the Iranian Houthi militias is still available if they abandon the coup project and agree on a political solution based on the three references, which are the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism, the outputs of the comprehensive Yemeni national dialogue and Security Council resolution 2216.

It warned the militias from not bowing to the international will as it leads to the continuation of operations carried by coalition forces until it returns legitimacy to all the Yemeni territories.

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki told a news conference that what happened lately, including killing former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, was as a turning point in the Yemeni conflict.

He noted that it revealed the true face of the criminal terrorist group, and the conflict has become open between the people and this group.

The Iranian Houthi militias have two options, either peace or war, Malki said, explaining that peace will take place only with the implementation of the political solution based on the three references or else war will continue.

Speaking at a news conference, Malki said the legitimate forces have knocked out a large number of military vehicles and arms depots for the Houthi militias. Moreover, they have seized weapons provided by Iran to the Houthis.

Maliki also revealed aerial photos showing a militiaman carrying a SAM-7 missile, who was targeted by Apache plane, the same plane that also targeted Houthi militia border posts.

He added that the Apache planes also destroyed military vehicles belonging to Houthis, as well as weapon depots and Houthi checkpoints.

He also said that the areas where Houthi ballistic missiles are being kept have been located and destroyed.

The coalition and Yemeni army are specifically focusing on eliminating Houthi bases near the Saudi Arabian border, he added.

Maliki also stressed the coalition’s humanitarian aid efforts through airdrops of aid in several parts of Yemen and the work of human rights organizations in Sana’a amid threats by Houthis.

The Arab Coalition has also distributed leaflets along with the Yemeni army to help those seeking safety, he said.



Syrian President Says Unifying Country 'Should Not Be with Blood'

03 January 2025, Syria, Damascus: Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa stands during a meeting at the presidential palace in Damascus. (dpa)
03 January 2025, Syria, Damascus: Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa stands during a meeting at the presidential palace in Damascus. (dpa)
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Syrian President Says Unifying Country 'Should Not Be with Blood'

03 January 2025, Syria, Damascus: Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa stands during a meeting at the presidential palace in Damascus. (dpa)
03 January 2025, Syria, Damascus: Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa stands during a meeting at the presidential palace in Damascus. (dpa)

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said the battle to unify his country after years of civil war "should not be with blood", rejecting any partition and accusing Israel of meddling in the south.

His remarks, released by state TV on Sunday, came as hundreds demonstrated in south Syria's Sweida province, denouncing sectarian violence last month and calling for the right to self-determination for the Druze-majority province.

"We still have another battle ahead of us to unify Syria, and it should not be with blood and military force... it should be through some kind of understanding because Syria is tired of war," Sharaa said during a dialogue session involving notables from the northwest province of Idlib and other senior officials.

"I do not see Syria as at risk of division. Some people desire a process of dividing Syria and trying to establish cantons... this matter is impossible," he said according to a recording of the meeting, distributed overnight by state media.

"Some parties seek to gain power through regional power, Israel or others. This is also extremely difficult and cannot be implemented," he said.

At the protest in Sweida, some demonstrators waved the Israeli flag and called for self-determination for the region.

A week of bloodshed in Sweida began on July 13 with clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin, but rapidly escalated, drawing in government forces, with Israel also carrying out strikes.

Sharaa said that Sweida "witnessed many violations from all sides... some members of the security forces and army in Syria also carried out some violations".

The state is required "to hold all perpetrators of violations to account", whatever their affiliation, he added.

"Israel is intervening directly in Sweida, seeking to implement policies aimed at weakening the state in general or finding excuses to interfere in ongoing policies in the southern region," Sharaa said.

Israel, which has its own Druze community, has said it has acted to defend the minority group as well as enforce its demands for the demilitarization of southern Syria.

Syria's new authorities are also in talks with a semi-autonomous Kurdish administration that runs swathes of the country's north and northeast and has called for decentralization, which Damascus has rejected.

Implementation of a March 10 deal on integrating the Kurds' semi-autonomous civil and military institutions into the state has been held up by differences between the parties.

"We are now discussing the mechanisms for implementation" of the deal, Sharaa said.