Commercial shipping in the Red Sea is safe for vessels belonging to companies from all countries except for Saudi Arabia, according to a statement released by Yahya Sarea, spokesman of Yemen's Houthis group, on Friday.
In the statement, the Houthis said that they began a large-scale military operation on Sept 3 from multiple directions aimed at expelling the Saudi armed forces that had amassed in parts of Yemen's western coastal areas.
The Houthis said that this operation was launched against the backdrop of continuous attacks by the Saudi armed forces on the people and villages in Yemen's western coastal areas in recent years, with relevant actions recently further escalating.
The Houthis said that the operation had resulted in several outcomes, including taking control of six areas in Yemen's Taiz and Hodeidah provinces, covering a combined area of about 5,400 square kilometers.
The group also claimed that it had struck seven Saudi military formations, totaling 38 brigades, resulting in hundreds killed, wounded or captured, and that it had freed some Yemeni detainees held for years in the western coastal region.
On air operations, the Houthis said that it had carried out 32 interceptions targeting Saudi warplanes and downed nine Saudi aircraft.
As for the maritime security at the Red Sea, the Houthis said sea navigation is currently safe for ships operated by companies from various countries, except for Saudi vessels.
The statement added that the group would continue blockade and "escalation for an escalation," targeting Saudi military until Saudi Arabia halts its military operations and lifts the blockade on Yemen.
In another development, CNN reported on Thursday that the U.S. military had deployed over 100 military advisors to Saudi Arabia aiming to increase intelligence and targeting support for Saudi military operation against the Houthis.
The report, citing sources familiar with the matter, noted these advisors are said to be part of "a newly-established joint forces command."
It also added that the United States has provided real-time battlefield targeting tools and "geospatial" targeting assistance for Saudi airstrikes.
The report also pointed out that the U.S. role is subject to strict limits, involving intelligence sharing and technical assistance only, and that the U.S. forces are not directly participating in strikes or providing operational support, such as aerial refueling.
An official with the U.S. Department of Defense said that the Pentagon would not comment on "intelligence-related matters," the report said, adding that Saudi Arabia's embassy in the United States has had no response publicly so far.
Yemen's Houthis declares Red Sea safety for all vessels except Saudi ships
