Saleh Thanks Oman For 'Efforts To Halt Yemen Assault'

Ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Monday thanked Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said for his "efforts" to halt an ongoing Saudi-led military assault on Yemen.



In a Facebook statement, Saleh expressed his thanks and gratitude to Qaboos for the latter's recent efforts with the Saudi leadership to halt the "aggression against Yemen and the machine of destruction devouring its cities and people."



The Omani government has not made any official announcements in regard to the "efforts" mentioned by Saleh.



Oman is not a part of the Saudi-led coalition, in which four Gulf countries are participating.



Gulf countries accuse Saleh and his family of supporting the Shiite Houthi group at the expense of Yemen's legitimate authority.



For the fifth consecutive day on Monday, a joint Arab offensive led by Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, including some in capital Sanaa.



Saudi Arabia said the strikes were in response to appeals by embattled Yemeni President ABD Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to "save the [Yemeni] people from the Houthi militias."



Some Gulf countries accuse Shiite Iran of supporting Yemen's Houthi insurgency.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Sana