Saudi-led coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri (Photo: Reuter)
The Saudi defence ministry said on Tuesday that the Saudi-led "Decisive Storm" military operation in Yemen had ended, and that a new operation named "Restoring Hope" would start at 12:00AM (GMT+3) in the country.
According to the Saudi news agency SPA, exiled Yemeni president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi demanded that Operation Decisive Storm end.
A Saudi-led military coalition was established after Houthi rebels captured the southern Yemeni city of Aden in March, causing Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia.
Arab countries who joined the coalition include Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Sudan, Egypt and Morocco.
General Ahmed Assiri, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, told the press that Operation Decisive Storm had achieved success through destroying sites that were controlled by the Houthis.
Assiri stressed that security measures would be implemented by navy and ground forces to protect Saudi Arabia's southern border and to stop any further operations by the Houthis.
The coalition would maintain the inspection of ships in Yemen's regional waters in accordance with the UN Security Council's Resolution 2216, the spokesperson added.
Earlier this month, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Houthi militants and their key allies, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son.
The new Operation Restoring Hope, SPA reported, seeks to revive the political process in Yemen on the basis of its previous national dialogue, UN Security Council decisions and the Gulf initiative that paved the way for power transfer after the 2011 revolution against Saleh's regime.
It will also aim to fight terrorism, protect civilians, maintain humanitarian support and continue to enable the evacuation of foreigners.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Tuesday ordered the Saudi National Guard to take part in Riyadh's campaign against Houthi militants in Yemen, Saudi state media reported.
Assiri said that Saudi Arabia's elite forces would help military forces to protect the kingdom's southern borders from any Houthi attacks.
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