Jeddah- Deputy Chief of General Staff of Yemeni Armed Forces General Ahmed Saif confirmed that Houthi militias and their ally Ali Abdullah Saleh are plotting to blow up and destroy the infrastructure in Mokha city, specifically its port, by targeting the city’s fuel tanks and its main power plant.

Gen. Saif told Asharq Al-Awsat that the subversive acts that Houthi militias are plotting aim at implicating Arab coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni army that has been besieging the city for several days now.

He pointed out that the Yemeni army has given a chance to the insurgents to surrender before soldiers break into the city and preserve the government’s resources.

“Houthis refused to surrender and have been barricading themselves by these fuel and gas tanks and the power plant to blow them up the moment the army decides to advance, showing the whole world that the military is carrying out destructive and sabotaging acts during the military confrontations.”

“The army is keen on the country’s resources, and throughout all the military confrontations with rebels it did not carry out any destructive act despite all the provocations by the Houthis and their allies in areas under their control,” Saif said.

He added that the army is giving a chance to those hiding in these sites to surrender before any military attack.

Moreover, the Yemeni General said that Houthi rebels prevented civilians in Mokha city from fleeing and used them as human shields, in violation of international rules that prohibit obstructing civilians from leaving areas witnessing military confrontations.

Gen. Saif stressed that the army is aware of what Houthis are plotting, especially in Mokha city where there are many facilities that the insurgents could attack.