The Saudi-led coalition, which supports the internationally recognized government of Yemen, carried out an airstrike on December 30 at a port in the city of Al-Mukalla. According to information from the Saudi agency SPA, the strike was carried out due to alleged arms shipments arriving there from the United Arab Emirates without coordination with the coalition. According to official data, there were no casualties.
Photo: Saudi state television / AP
A coalition spokesman stated that two UAE vessels arrived at the port in late December, switched off tracking systems, and unloaded a large quantity of weapons and military equipment. Such actions, according to Saudi Arabia, violate UN Security Council resolutions and threaten regional security. After observing the cargo, the coalition's aviation carried out a "limited" strike on the weaponry.
The shipments were allegedly intended to support the Southern Transitional Council – a separatist force operating in southern and southeastern Yemen that enjoys UAE support.
The decision for the operation was made following a request from the Yemeni leadership for the protection of civilians. Saudi Arabia stated that it would continue to prevent any uncoordinated military support for this entity.
Media note that the airstrikes have deepened tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who were previously allies in the Yemeni conflict. Yemeni authorities imposed a 90-day state of emergency, accused "rebellious forces" of attempting to divide the country, and cancelled a military cooperation agreement with the UAE.
The civil war in Yemen has been ongoing since 2014, when the Houthis seized the country's capital, Sanaa. Since then, several centers of power have formed in the country: the Houthis, the internationally recognized government, and the Southern Transitional Council, which advocates for the independence of Southern Yemen. Despite previous agreements and the inclusion of Southern representatives in government bodies, their armed activity increased again towards the end of the year.
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