The Saudi Press Agency SPA, quoted the leadership of the Joint Forces Command of the coalition in Yemen as saying that it carried out a limited air strike targeting external military support at the port of Mukalla.
The coalition added that two vessels arriving from the Emirati port of Fujairah to Mukalla port were monitored on Saturday and Sunday without official authorisation.
It stated that the two vessels disabled their tracking systems and unloaded weapons to support the Southern Transitional Council forces, to fuel the conflict.
The coalition leadership affirmed that it remains committed to de-escalation, enforcing calm in Hadramawt and Al Mahrah, and preventing the arrival of any military support from any country to any Yemeni component without coordination with the internationally recognised government and the coalition.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Arab Coalition in Yemen called on civilians, military personnel, and fishermen to evacuate Mukalla port in Hadramawt until further notice, due to the implementation of a military operation.
Last Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency quoted the official coalition spokesperson Turki al Maliki as saying that, in response to a request submitted by the Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al Alimi, immediate measures would be taken to protect civilians in Hadramawt governorate due to humanitarian violations committed by elements of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council. He stated that any military movements that contradict the joint Saudi Emirati efforts to reduce escalation would be dealt with directly.
He added at the time that the objective was the withdrawal of Transitional Council forces, the handover of camps to the Nation Shield Forces, the empowerment of local authorities to exercise their responsibilities, and the protection of civilian lives.
Al Maliki affirmed the continued firm and supportive stance of the Joint Forces Command of the coalition toward the internationally recognised Yemeni government. He also urged all parties to assume national responsibility, exercise restraint, and respond to efforts aimed at peaceful solutions to preserve security and stability.
Riyadh expressed concern over the recent military movements witnessed in the Hadramawt and Al Mahrah governorates carried out by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council forces.
Saudi Arabia described these movements as an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people in all their segments and the southern cause, and undermined coalition efforts. It stressed that it had focused throughout the previous period on unity, exerting intensive efforts to reach peaceful solutions to address the situation in both governorates, as part of ongoing efforts to restore stability.
