Saudi Airstrike in Yemen’s Mukalla over Alleged Arms for Separatists

International Desk: PNN

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia conducted an airstrike in Mukalla, Yemen’s main port city. Saudi military sources said the target was a shipment of weapons on a vessel from the United Arab Emirates intended for the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist political force in southern Yemen.

According to the Saudi state news agency, “The ship’s crew had disabled tracking systems and transported a large quantity of weapons and military vehicles meant to support STC forces. Since these arms posed a direct threat to sustainable peace and stability, the coalition conducted a limited airstrike.”

No casualties have been reported. The strike was carried out at night to avoid unintended damage. The STC-affiliated AIC satellite news channel acknowledged the strike but provided no details. Analysts believe the target ship was the Greenland, a roll-on/roll-off vessel registered in St. Kitts, which docked in Fujairah on December 22 and arrived in Mukalla on Sunday.

Experts note that social media footage shows newly armored vehicles entering Mukalla. Tensions are expected to continue, with the UAE-backed STC likely trying to consolidate control, while Saudi Arabia’s airspace dominance will limit arms flow.

Mukalla is located in Yemen’s Hadramaut Governorate. The STC recently established control there. Situated 448 km north of Aden, Mukalla has been used as a base by Yemen’s ruling forces after rebels captured the capital, Sana’a. The strike adds a new dimension to ongoing conflict between the STC and rebels in southern Yemen and may impact long-standing political and economic competition between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.