Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen Port after calling strike by ‘brotherly’ UAE ‘dangerous’

YEMEN : Amid rising tensions in Yemen, Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on the port city of Mukalla on Tuesday, targeting a shipment of weapons reportedly destined for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group in southern Yemen. The United Arab Emirates did not immediately comment on the strike.

The attack marks a new escalation between Riyadh and the STC, while also straining relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which support rival factions in Yemen’s decade-long war against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The move comes amid heightened tensions across the wider Red Sea region.

Targeted vessels and weapons shipment
The strike is believed to have hit a vessel identified by analysts as the Greenland, a roll-on, roll-off ship registered in St Kitts. Vessel tracking data indicated it was docked in Fujairah, UAE, on 22 December and reached Mukalla on Sunday. A second ship mentioned in reports could not be immediately identified.

Saudi authorities said the ships had disabled their tracking devices and unloaded significant quantities of weapons and military vehicles to support STC forces. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the weapons posed an “imminent threat” and threatened peace and stability, prompting a “limited airstrike” aimed at the offloaded arms and vehicles.

There was no immediate information on casualties, and it was unclear if any forces other than Saudi Arabia were involved. Saudi officials added that the strike was conducted overnight to avoid collateral damage.

Evidence of weapons movement

Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen analyst and founder of the Basha Report, cited social media videos showing armoured vehicles moving through Mukalla after the ships’ arrival. Saudi state television later broadcast footage, purportedly filmed by a surveillance aircraft, showing vehicles being transported to a staging area—corroborating the social media reports.

“I expect a calibrated escalation from both sides,” al-Basha said. “The UAE-backed STC is likely to consolidate control, but the flow of weapons from the UAE to the STC will be curtailed, particularly since Saudi Arabia controls the airspace.”

Source : First Post