Yemen’s STC says Saudi-backed government forces will deploy in Hadramawt and Mahra, easing UAE-Saudi tensions after a separatist offensive.
DUBAI: Separatists from Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) said on Thursday that Saudi-aligned government forces would enter territories they seized recently.
The announcement marks an apparent climbdown following days of heightened tension between Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The STC’s surprise offensive last month took control of the resource-rich Hadramawt and Mahra provinces.
This brought the UAE and Saudi Arabia, officially allies in Yemen’s conflict, to a point of unprecedented escalation.
On Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition struck what it said was a shipment of Emirati weapons destined for the separatists.
The UAE denied the claim and called for STC forces to withdraw from the newly captured areas.
In its statement, the STC said it would continue to operate in the regions but had agreed to the deployment of the Riyadh-backed National Shield government force.
“Today, we launched an operation to integrate the southern National Shield forces so that they can assume the responsibilities and missions that fall to our armed forces,” they announced.
The statement confirmed a National Shield brigade would be deployed in “areas of the Hadhramaut and Mahra governorates, as agreed.”
Saudi Arabia, the main backer of the Yemeni government, had repeatedly urged the STC to withdraw from recently conquered territories.
It had earlier conducted airstrikes against STC positions, particularly in areas along its southern border.
Following Tuesday’s strikes, the UAE’s defence ministry said it would withdraw its last remaining troops from Yemen.
This came after Saudi Arabia imposed a 24-hour deadline for their removal.
The Yemeni government comprises a fractious coalition of groups united by their opposition to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
The Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and subsequently took control of large parts of northern Yemen.
While both Saudi Arabia and the UAE oppose the Houthis, they back different factions within the Yemeni government coalition.
