There are Iranian military officers and Hezbollah fighters on the ground aiding the Houthis in Yemen, according to a senior official in the Yemeni president’s office.

The Houthis are also deliberately striking certain areas in the city and blaming it on the coalition forces to gain support and sympathy, said Mukhtar Al-Rihbi, press secretary for the Yemeni president.

Al-Rihbi said that ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is not in the Beihan region in southern Yemen. “All our sources in Shabwa does not confirm that news. We have information that points to Saleh being in the northern Sanhan region, the place where he was born in.”

Mohammad Al-Awadi, head of the preparatory committee of the South Congress, has praised the initiative of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to restore order in Yemen. Space has now been created for Yemeni groups to reconsider their positions before joining the expected peace talks in Riyadh.

Al-Awadi said battles are continuing on the ground, especially in the southern governorates of Aden, Shabwa and Al-Daaleh, with young men bravely fighting against the Houthi militias. He said Iran’s presence is spreading in the northern areas.

“I expect there is coordination with the coalition forces because they know the Houthis are present there.”

He said air strikes have been carried out by the coalition forces on military installations.

He said the Houthis are launching repeated attacks on Aden, Al-Daleh and Shabwa but are meeting stiff resistance. There are also attempts by their militia to control the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait and Al-Thawra areas in Hadramout and Shabwa, he said.

Al-Awadi said there is no religious strife in south Yemen, with people united against the Houthis.