Saudi-led coalition strikes Yemen, says STC leader al-Zubaidi has fled

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Coalition says it targeted separatist forces aft Aidarous al-Zubaidi failed to committee a level scheduled to instrumentality him to Riyadh for talks.

The Saudi-led conjugation successful Yemen has launched strikes connected the country’s confederate Dali governorate, saying it was targeting separatist forces aft their person fled without boarding a level scheduled to instrumentality him to Riyadh.

The statement, issued aboriginal connected Wednesday, said the person of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) Aidarous al-Zubaidi had been owed to alert retired from the Yemeni metropolis of Aden connected Tuesday nighttime for talks connected ending the struggle betwixt his radical and the internationally recognised authorities of Yemen.

Al-Zubaidi did not committee the plane, however, and has “fled to an chartless location,” it said.

“During this time, the morganatic authorities and the conjugation received accusation that al-Zubaidi had mobilised a ample force, including armoured vehicles, dense and airy weapons, arsenic good arsenic ammunition,” it said.

The unit was located successful the Dhali governorate, and the conjugation launched “pre-emptive strikes” astatine 4:00am section clip to thwart al-Zubaidi’s “attempt tp escalate the struggle and extend” it to the Dhali governorate, the conjugation added.

The STC, which initially supported Yemen’s internationally recognised authorities against the Houthi rebels, launched an violative against the Saudi Arabia-backed authorities troops successful December, seeking an autarkic authorities successful the south.

The radical is backed by the United Arab Emirates.

The beforehand broke years of deadlock, with the STC ‌seizing power of wide swaths of confederate Yemen, including the Hadramout and Mahra provinces, successful defiance of warnings from Riyadh. Hadramout borders Saudi Arabia portion Mahra is adjacent to the border.

The provinces make up astir fractional of Yemeni territory.

Riyadh responded with aerial strikes connected the Yemeni larboard of Mukalla connected December 30, targeting what it called a UAE-linked weapons shipment, and backing a telephone by the internationally recognised authorities for Abu Dhabi’s forces to retreat from the country.

The UAE denied the shipment contained weapons and said it had decided to extremity its “counter coercion mission” successful Yemen.

The Yemeni authorities troops, backed by Saudi aerial attacks, went connected to reclaim Hadarmout and Mahra, and the STC said it would be bid talks hosted by Saudi Arabia.

It said connected Saturday that the Saudi Arabian inaugural was a “genuine accidental for superior dialogue” that could safeguard “the aspirations of the confederate people”.