A Saudi military member stands next to a destroyed building in Aden, Yemen. (Photo: Ahmed Farwan/flickr/cc)
On January 31, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) captured most of the coastal city of Aden in southern Yemen, according to Yemeni sources. STC forces also managed to besiege all the supporters of Saudi-backed President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in the presidential place inside the city.
While all local sources confirm these reports, a spokesman for the Ahmed Obeid bin Dagher government, Rajeh Badi, denied these claims and said that the city is under the full control of pro-Hadi forces.
The al-Arabiya TV reported that pro-Hadi forces supported by Saudi warplanes were able to recapture the al-Liwa military camp in the northern part of Aden. However, some Yemeni source reported that STC forces handed some positions back to pro-Hadi forces under the local “de-escalation” agreement.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition announced in an official statement that it has been monitoring the situation in Aden city the last two days. Furthermore, the coalition vowed in its statement to take “necessary steps to restore security and stability in Aden”.
So far, no real agreement has been reached to cease the conflict in Aden. The STC insists that the Dagher government should resign. In turn, Saudi Arabia seeks to impose a deal on the sides involved in the violence in Aden. On the same time, the UAE is for sure not willing to go into a deep political conflict with Saudi Arabia over the situation in Yemen.
