Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen’s Mukalla after UAE 'arms shipment'; Abu Dhabi says it sent vehicles, to withdraw troops
The UAE had earlier called for ‘restraint and wisdom’, but later agreed to the demands and announced that it was pulling out its forces from the country.
SAUDI Arabia on Tuesday, December 30, bombed Mukalla – the port city of Yemen – after an arms shipment allegedly from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived at the port and also issued a warning to Abu Dhabi to leave the country within 24 hours.
After the bombing, the UAE said it was pulling out its remaining forces in Yemen. It was not clear if the airstrikes led to any casualties in Mukalla.
The bombing at Mukalla happened after tensions flared over the advance of Emirates-backed separatist forces known as the Southern Transitional Council. While the council and its allies issued a statement supporting the UAE's presence, others allied with Saudi Arabia demanded that Emirati forces withdraw from Yemen within 24 hours.
The UAE had earlier called for “restraint and wisdom”, but later agreed to the demands and announced that it was pulling out its forces from the country.
Coalition-led airstrike in Mukalla
The Saudi Press Agency released a military statement which announced bombings in Mukalla. The statement mentioned that the airstrikes happened after ships, allegedly carrying arms, arrived at the city port from Fujairah in the UAE.
The statement read: “The ships’ crew had disabled tracking devices aboard the vessels, and unloaded a large amount of weapons and combat vehicles in support of the Southern Transitional Council’s forces.”
“Considering that the aforementioned weapons constitute an imminent threat, and an escalation that threatens peace and stability, the Coalition Air Force has conducted this morning a limited airstrike that targeted weapons and military vehicles offloaded from the two vessels in Mukalla,” it added.
What did the UAE say?
The UAE initially denied that it shipped arms to Mukalla, but mentioned that the shipment carried vehicles “for use by the UAE forces operating in Yemen.” It also announced that it would start withdrawing from the city “recent developments and their potential repercussions on the safety and effectiveness of counter-terrorism operations.”
Will the withdrawal come in 24 hours? The UAE has not mentioned about the timeline of its withdrawal.
Mukalla is in Yemen's Hadramout governorate, which the council seized in recent days. The port city is some 480 km (300 miles) northeast of Aden, which has been the seat of power for anti-Houthi forces after the rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
