Cairo [Egypt], January 8: A Saudi-led alliance on Wednesday said it had conducted "preemptive limited" airstrikes against separatist forces supported by the United Arab Emirates in Yemen in a new sign of escalation in the war-wracked country.
The alliance spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said the dawn strikes were carried out in Yemen's southern province of Dhale to hamper large forces allegedly mobilized by Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, the head of the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), to trigger unrest in the province.
Al-Maliki added in a statement that Al-Zubaidi had also distributed weapons to followers in Aden, the seat of the Saudi-backed and internationally recognized Yemeni government, before he fled to an undisclosed location. He said Al-Zubaidi did not get on a flight that eventually departed to Saudi Arabia, carrying STC members for talks there.
Meanwhile, the presidential leadership council of Yemen's government said it had revoked Al-Zubaidi's membership of the council and accused him of high treason.
For its part, the STC said Al-Zubaidi is still in Aden. It said the Dhale airstrikes had resulted in casualties among civilians.
"This represents a regrettable escalation that does not harmonize with the atmosphere of the declared dialogue," the group added in a statement.
The STC said it was unable to communicate with its delegation, which arrived in Riyadh hours ago for a dialogue on Yemen's issue in the south.
Saudi Arabia invited Yemeni factions to the dialogue last week after the STC - which is pushing for the secession of southern Yemen from the north - announced a plan for a referendum on independence after a two-year transitional period.
Yemen was already divided from 1967 until reunification in 1990.
Last month, STC forces seized large chunks of territory in eastern Yemen neighbouring Saudi Arabia, raising concerns about national security among Saudis.
The STC offensive also exposed rare tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who are regional rivals.
Source: Qatar Tribune
