– Europa Presse/Contact/Murad
MADRID, December 30 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Saudi military on Tuesday announced an attack by the coalition that supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government on “combat weapons and vehicles” allegedly transported on two United Arab Emirates (UAE) ships in support of the Southern Transitional Council, a UAE-backed secessionist faction that aspires to the creation of the state of South Arabia.
The spokesperson for the coalition forces, Turki al Maliki, assured that on Saturday and Sunday “two ships coming from the port of Fujairah (in the United Arab Emirates) entered the port of Mukala (in the south of Yemen) without obtaining official permits”, according to the statement published by the Saudi press agency SPA.
“The crews of the two ships deactivated their tracking systems and unloaded a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles to support the forces of the Southern Transitional Council in the eastern governorates of Yemen (Hadramut and Mahra) with the aim of fueling the conflict,” denounced Al Maliki, who described this action as “a blatant violation of the principle of truce and the search for a peaceful solution, as well as resolution number 2216 of the Council Security Council of 2015″, which establishes an arms agreement. embargo against several individuals and entities in Yemen.
In this context, the spokesperson assured that at the request of the Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Council, Muhamad al Alimi, “the coalition air forces carried out this morning a limited military operation directed against the weapons and combat vehicles unloaded from the two ships in the port of Al Mukala”.
Likewise, he indicated that the attack took place after certifying the downloading of the documents, “in accordance with international humanitarian law and (…) guaranteeing the absence of collateral damage.”
Al Maliki reaffirmed the allied members’ commitment “to détente” and to “prevent any military support from any country to any Yemeni faction without coordination with the legitimate Yemeni government and the coalition”, in order to “prevent the conflict from expanding”, as he maintained.
In recent days, the Saudi government has accused the Southern Transitional Council of causing an “unwarranted escalation” by acting “unilaterally” in attacking the military positions of the internationally recognized Yemeni government and urged the group to withdraw peacefully from the two provinces.
However, last Thursday, the United Arab Emirates praised the Saudi role in its “efforts” to support the stability of that country, avoiding responding to the aforementioned attacks by secessionist militias. Despite this, Abu Dhabi has not yet commented on Tuesday’s operation, which would have destroyed military assets outside its port.
The Southern Transitional Council controls much of southern and eastern Yemen and has rejected calls to withdraw from those provinces. He also reiterated his proposal for a “just federal state” including all population groups. The Council is also supported by the elite Hadramut forces, which control the towns of Mukalla and Ash Shihr.
The Yemeni government recognized by the international community controls the provinces of Marib (northeast) and Taiz (southwest), while the north and center of the country are in the hands of the Houthi militias, allied with Iran.
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