Yemen: Yemen's internationally recognized government has accused a militia affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) of storming Al Rayyan Airport in the eastern Hadhramaut province and looting its contents.
According to Anadolu Agency, the state-run Yemen TV reported that an STC-affiliated militia entered the airport and took everything inside. There was no immediate comment from the STC regarding the report. Al Rayyan Airport, located in Mukalla, is an international airport that has been largely inactive since Yemen's civil war began in 2014. The airport was previously used as a military base by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as reported by Yemeni media.
State television reported that UAE forces had started withdrawing from Al Rayyan Airport, stating that four military cargo planes had left the airport carrying soldiers, heavy equipment, and technological systems. Tensions in southern Yemen escalated last month when STC forces captured Hadramaut and Al-Mahra provinces following clashes with government forces. These two provinces together constitute nearly half of Yemen's land area.
Saudi Arabia has accused the UAE of encouraging STC forces to carry out military operations along its southern border in Hadramout and Mahra. The UAE has denied these allegations, emphasizing its commitment to Saudi Arabia's security. Earlier this week, Yemen's presidential council canceled a joint defense agreement with the UAE, ordering all Emirati forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours and declaring a 90-day state of emergency, citing attempts to divide the country.
The Emirati Defense Ministry stated that it had completed the mission of its remaining counterterrorism teams in Yemen, adding that it had ended its military presence in 2019 as part of the Saudi-led coalition. The STC claims that successive governments have politically and economically marginalized southern regions and calls for their separation from the north. These claims are rejected by the Yemeni authorities, who insist on preserving the country's territorial unity.