Transitional Council (STC) against launching military operations in Hadramout province.
According to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), coalition air forces carried out the operation early on Tuesday, striking unloaded weapons and vehicles at the port
By Adeleke Adekunle
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has conducted what it described as a “limited military operation” targeting alleged foreign military support at the port of Mukalla. The action came days after the coalition warned the separatist Southern
Transitional Council (STC) against launching military operations in Hadramout province.
According to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), coalition air forces carried out the operation early on Tuesday, striking unloaded weapons and vehicles at the port.
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said two ships entered Mukalla port on Saturday and Sunday without coalition authorisation, switched off their tracking systems, and unloaded large quantities of weapons and combat vehicles “to support” the STC.
Following the air strike, the Saudi-backed head of Yemen’s Presidential Council, Rashad al-Alimi, said on Tuesday that all United Arab Emirates forces must leave Yemen within 24 hours.
“Given the threat and escalation posed by these weapons, the coalition air forces carried out a limited military operation this morning targeting the weapons and combat vehicles that had been unloaded from the two ships at the port of Mukalla,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Two sources told the Reuters news agency that the strike specifically targeted the dock where the cargo had been unloaded. The coalition said there were no casualties or collateral damage and stressed that the operation was carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law.
The strike comes amid rising tensions after the STC launched an offensive earlier this month against Yemeni government forces backed by the coalition.
Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud wrote on X that STC forces should “peacefully hand over” two regional governorates to the government. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for “restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution.”
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