The command of the Arab coalition in Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia, has announced a military operation in the eastern province of Hadramaut after it was captured by the forces of the Southern Transitional Council.
“We demand that civilians immediately leave the port of Al-Mukalla to ensure their protection during the military operation“, the coalition said in a statement carried by the SPA news agency.
Meanwhile, Riyadh launched airstrikes on the port of Al-Mukalla. The attack was said to have targeted weapons and military equipment unloaded from two ships arriving from the UAE.
In early December, the Transitional Council seized power in the provinces of Hadramaut and Al-Mahra in eastern Yemen. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia called on the separatists to stop escalating the conflict and respond to calls to withdraw their troops from the eastern regions by handing over military positions to the "Homeland Shield" forces, which report to the head of Yemen's Presidential Council, Rashad al-Alimi.
He condemned the seizure of the provinces and called on Riyadh to provide military support to return them to the control of the internationally recognized authorities.