The following is a summary of the daily press briefing held today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the developments of Operation Decisive Storm. The briefing was conducted by Brig. Gen. Ahmed bin Hasan Asiri, advisor in the Office of the Minister of Defense.

• The coalition evacuated 11 Red Cross personnel today. Additional flights are scheduled to evacuate the remaining personnel in Yemen.

• The Houthi militias are still committing hostile actions against the civilian population instead of military targets. 

• The militias have now stretched outside Aden and fortified themselves into isolated pockets. The coalition is continuing to coordinate with the popular committees, tribesmen and resistance members who are defending Aden by providing logistic and intelligence support.

• Houthi militias are currently targeting Aden by moving supplies and reinforcements from Al-Dhale, Shabwa and Al-Hudaida. There are two options remaining for the militias: remain inside army camps and be subject to airstrikes, or make their way to Aden and become clear targets for the coalition forces.

• Over the last 24 hours, multiple roads around Aden were damaged by the coalition forces in order to cut off Houthi militias’ access to Aden. The heavily-used Aggan Bridge, north of Aden, and other military areas where the militias assembled before moving, were targeted. 

• Saudi Land Forces and Border Guards continue to enforce security at the Saudi border.

• Coalition naval operations continue to monitor Yemeni ports. They are also facilitating requests from some nations to evacuate their citizens via sea, including India, China and Pakistan.

• Operations to prevent trafficking to and from Yemeni ports and islands are ongoing. The coalition is also keeping a vigilant eye on navigation towards Neion Island, where it launched an airstrike to prevent Houthi smuggling. 

• The coalition welcomes any relief assistance for the people of Yemen and has vowed that air-dropped items will not fall in the hands of the Houthi militias or rebel groups.

• In regards to Al-Qaeda’s control of the city of Al-Makalla, the coalition will not allow terrorist organizations to change its plans in Yemen. Response to terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda requires a different strategy. Decisions are based on security rather than military strategy.

• The rise of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen is due partly to the failure of the international community to address the issue and to support for the Houthis, which led to the weakening of the Yemeni state. AQAP took advantage of this opportunity to reactivate and resurge.