Caves used by the Yemeni Shiite Houthi militias to store arms and launch military operations from have been targeted by the Saudi-led coalition, the coalition's spokesman Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Asiri told reporters in Riyadh on Sunday. "We targeted a number of caves yesterday," Asiri said, adding "one of the caves targeted in [northern western governorate of] Saada. As you know the topography of this area is full of caves and caverns." He also said the coalition targeted army camps seized by the Houthi militias in the southwestern city of Taiz and the capital Sanaa. The army official said that information on the "number and size" of arms held by the Houthis is "continuing" to emerge. "There are many hit and run tactics in Aden," the spokesman added, where clashes continue between Houthi militias and fighters loyal to President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi in Aden. He also accused the Houthis of trying to drag the conflict close to the Saudi border, and added that "we will not allow any side give supplies" to the Iran-backed militias. The spokesman rejected claims that the Houthis seized 30 villages near the Saudi border, saying such "allegations" were the group's "attempt for media glorification." Asked if the Houthis were using internationally banned arms such as biological and chemical weapons, Asiri did not "rule out" the possibility, but he said "there has been no evidence so far." He said the coalition "wants to finish the operation as soon as possible" and "succeed" to create a "safe" country for the Yemeni people. "There is no need for additional forces," he said, due to the number and magnitude of the Saudi-led strikes being "consummate to the level of the threat." Asiri added that helicopter gunships had staged cross-border attacks that killed Saudi soldiers. "We have dealt with the situation with artillery, with Apache [helicopter] fighters," said Asiri, the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition. The gunships took action after Houthi militia from Yemen on Friday targeted a border post in the Najran region of southwestern Saudi Arabia.
