Saudi-led coalition targets Yemeni port for suspected arms smuggling operation

Saudi-led Coalition Conducts Limited Military Operation in Yemen’s Mukalla Port

A targeted strike was carried out by the Saudi-led coalition at Yemen’s Mukalla port on Tuesday, according to official reports. The operation targeted what the coalition described as foreign military support at the port.

The coalition air forces conducted the operation early on Tuesday, targeting unloaded weapons and vehicles. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki stated that two ships entered the port on Saturday and Sunday without coalition authorization, disabled their tracking systems, and unloaded large quantities of weapons and combat vehicles.

Saudi-backed head of Yemen’s presidential council, Rashad Al Alimi, said that all forces from the United Arab Emirates must leave Yemen within 24 hours. The strike specifically targeted the dock where the cargo had been unloaded, according to two sources.

The coalition reported no casualties or collateral damage and stated that the operation was conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law. The strike comes amid heightened tensions following an offensive by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) against Yemeni government troops backed by the coalition.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for “restraint and continued diplomacy” to reach a lasting solution. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud posted on X that the STC troops should “peacefully hand over” two regional governorates to the government.

The STC, which has controlled southern territories since 2022, has been involved in a power-sharing arrangement with the coalition. However, the group has recently swept through swaths of the country, expelling other government forces and their allies.

Source: Al Jazeera