A joint Saudi-Emirati military delegation arrived in Aden to discuss measures aimed at defusing tensions in southern Yemen, days after the Southern Transitional Council (STC) loyal forces claimed broad control across the south, a Yemeni government source told Reuters on Friday.
This comes following an official statement that the recent events in Hadramowt Governorate (eastern Yemen), caused the killing and wounding of 77 officers and personnel of government’s army. . The statement accused STC forces of committing war crimes, including killing wounded soldiers and executing detainees.
A Saudi television channel reported on Friday that the joint (Saudi/Emirati) military delegation is discussing the withdrawal of STC forces from the provinces of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra in the temporary Yemeni capital, Aden.
The Saudi/Emirati delegation aim of rearranging the military map in Yemen’s eastern provinces through a plan that entails replacing formations of the STC with forces from the the so-called “Homeland Shield.”
Well informed sources said that the “Homeland Shield” forces will commence their duties according to coordinated operational procedures and under the direct supervision of the Coalition’s leadership, to ensure security and stability in these vital areas.
Media outlets affiliated with the STC had previously stated that the talks would not address the withdrawal of the Council’s forces from the two provinces.