Daijiworld Media Network - Aden
Aden, Jan 8: Tensions escalated in Yemen on Wednesday as the Saudi-led coalition carried out air strikes on al-Dhale province, the home region of separatist leader Aidaros Alzubidi, after he failed to attend talks in Riyadh and was subsequently removed from the country’s presidential body.
The coalition said it had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Alzubidi to travel to Riyadh for discussions, following last month’s advance by his Southern Transitional Council (STC), which had seized large swathes of territory before being pushed back by Saudi-led and allied Yemeni forces.
However, Alzubidi did not board the flight carrying his delegation to Saudi Arabia. The coalition accused him of mobilising “large forces” in al-Dhale, prompting air strikes on the province. Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) later announced his removal from the body, accusing him of high treason.
The standoff between rival Yemeni factions has heightened fears of renewed violence in Aden, the country’s second-largest city, where the STC claimed Alzubidi was still present.
The developments have also strained relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both key players in Yemen, with the STC’s actions and the Saudi response causing a sharp downturn in ties.
Local officials said more than 15 air strikes hit al-Dhale on Wednesday, killing four people, according to hospital sources.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said Alzubidi had fled to an unknown location after allegedly distributing weapons and ammunition in Aden. He said the strikes were carried out to prevent Alzubidi from escalating the conflict and spreading violence into al-Dhale governorate.
An STC official claimed Alzubidi decided not to join the Riyadh talks after learning that he would be asked to dissolve the group, which forms part of the PLC governing government-held areas of Yemen.
Later, the STC said it had lost contact with its delegation after it arrived in Riyadh and urged Saudi authorities to guarantee the safety of its members.