Saudi special forces involved in Yemen war as international calls for halt

Saudi special forces are reportedly involved in the kingdom’s aggression against neighboring Yemen as Riyadh continues to defy international calls for a halt to its deadly airstrikes on the country.

An unnamed Saudi adviser confirmed on Saturday that Saudi army and naval special forces have carried out specific operations in Yemen, AFP reported.

He added that the army and naval special forces have provided the militants in Yemen with “coordination and guidance” against Ansarullah fighters.

The Saudi official stressed that Riyadh’s forces “will continue their engagement” with the militants.

The adviser, however, did not reveal if the Saudi special forces have actually set foot on Yemeni soil or not.

Saudi defiance

Earlier on Saturday, Riyadh rejected calls by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Russia for a humanitarian halt to its deadly attacks on Yemen.

Aid “will come when we are able to set the conditions (so) that this aid will benefit the population,” Saudi Brigadier General Ahmed Assiri told reporters in the Saudi capital.

This came after the ICRC called for an immediate 24-hour ceasefire in Yemen for the delivery of aid to the impoverished Arab country.

Russia also called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to put a halt to the war on Yemen for humanitarian purposes.

Saudi Arabia’s air campaign in Yemen started on March 26 in a bid to restore power to Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.

However, Ansarullah says Hadi lost his legitimacy as president of Yemen after he in February fled the capital to Aden, where he sought to set up a rival base. Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Houthi revolutionaries.

The revolutionaries said after reaching Sana’a last September that the Hadi government was incapable of properly running the affairs of the country and containing the growing wave of corruption and terror.

Houthi fighters continue advancing southward, while they have also stepped up fighting against al-Qaeda terrorists and secured many areas from the militants.



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