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“Any military movements that violate these efforts will be dealt
with directly and immediately in order to protect civilian lives
and ensure the success of restoring calm," said Brig. Gen. Turki
al-Maliki, a coalition spokesman, according to the Saudi Press
Agency.
Al-Maliki also accused the Southern Transitional Council
separatists of “serious and horrific human rights violations
against civilians,” without providing evidence.
This came a day after separatists accused Saudi Arabia of
targeting their forces with airstrikes, something not formally
acknowledged by the kingdom, whose relations with the UAE have
been strained due to STC actions.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Saturday
that his country was “concerned by recent events in southeastern
Yemen” and urged restraint and diplomacy to reach “a lasting
solution.” He also expressed gratitude “for the diplomatic
leadership of our partners, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates.”
Yemen, engulfed in a civil war for more than a decade, has the
Iran-backed Houthis controlling much of the northern regions,
while a Saudi-UAE-backed coalition supports the internationally
recognized government in the south. However, the UAE also backs
the southern separatists who call for South Yemen to secede once
again from Yemen.
The Council moved earlier this month into Yemen’s governorates
of Hadramout and Mahra and seized an oil-rich region. That had
pushed out forces affiliated with the Saudi-backed National
Shield Forces, another group aligned with the coalition in
fighting the Houthis.
The coalition now demands the withdrawal of STC forces from the
two governorates, with local authorities back to overseeing
them, and the handover of their military camps.
Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership
Council, the governing body of the internationally recognized
government, said after an emergency meeting late Friday that STC
movements posed “serious violations against civilians.”
The coalition said its Saturday announcement came at al-Alimi's
request to protect civilians in Hadramout.
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