Saudi Arabia ends month-long air campaign in Yemen

Dubai: Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday it was ending the 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 neighbour.

Iran, which has supported the fellow Shia Houthis, welcomed the ceasefire, which followed months of factional fighting between the militant group and forces loyal to the government, which was driven out of the capital Sana’a.

“Operation Decisive Storm has achieved its goals... (including) removing the threat to Saudi Arabia and neighbouring 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 White House on Tuesday also welcomed Saudi Arabia’s announcement.

The Saudis also 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.

The World Health Organisation said on Tuesday that 944 people were reported killed and 3,487 wounded in Yemen in the four weeks up to Friday. The number of casualties is expected to be higher according to Rana Sidani, a WHO representative.