Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman receives Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in Riyadh on Thursday. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia waged early Thursday “Operation Decisive Storm” against the Houthi coup in Yemen and in support of legitimate President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

The Saudi-led military coalition declared Yemen’s airspace as a “restricted area” after Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman ordered the airstrikes on Thursday at 12 a.m. The campaign has already resulted in the elimination of several Houthi leaders.

Yemen air space is currently under full control of the Saudi Royal Air Force. As the operation continues, a coalition of all GCC countries, barring Oman, is taking part in the campaign, including Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia has deployed 100 fighter jets, 150,000 soldiers and other navy units, Al Arabiya News Channel reported.

Yemenis hold a poster of the King of Saudi Arabia Salman as they chant slogans during a rally to show support for Saudi-led airstrikes against Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, in Taiz, Yemen, on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Washington Adel Al-Jubeir told reporters that a 10-country coalition had joined the campaign in a bid “to protect and defend the legitimate government” of Hadi.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia halted flights to seven airports south of the Kingdom, Reuters reported.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Riad Yassine said the operations would continue until the Houthis agreed to join peace talks and backtrack on all measures taken by them.

The coalition warplanes carried out fresh strikes in the evening on Thursday, targeting a rebel-held military base in third city Taiz, local officials said. The attack hit the Al-Tariq airbase in Taiz, located in southwestern Yemen, they said.

[wpResize]