Spokesman for the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri said that the Saudi-led operation is stabilizing the country and defeating Al-Qaeda.  “Today, I report 85 to 90 percent of the country [is] under control of the government,” said General Asseri during a conference call today with international reporters. 

“Now we are in the stabilization phase. We help the Yemeni government through their security services, through their army to be able to engage and extend their control in this region,” said General Asseri. “We will continue to help them until we bring back the stability in the different cities in Yemen and in general.”

General Asseri discussed the success of a recent offensive organized by Yemeni security forces, in collaboration with Saudi and Emirati special forces, to retake the city of Al-Mukalla, which was serving as the base of Al-Qaeda operations in Yemen. He said the campaign succeeded in liberating Al-Mukalla and was a tremendous victory against terrorism.

“We continue to follow those terrorists and we continue to find out where they are and we continue to defeat them, so we are committed to clear[ing] Hadramout from Al-Qaeda,” he stated. Al-Mukalla is the capital of Hadramout province.

General Asseri reiterated that Saudi Arabia and its allies are committed to finding a peaceful, political solution in Yemen. He was encouraged by the recent accomplishments of the peace talks in Kuwait.

“We continue to work for peace and stability in Yemen, peace and stability in cooperation with the international community and with our friends, allied on top of them the United States of America,” General Asseri said.