Separatist Attack Kills Dozens of Yemeni Soldiers

ILLUSTRATION PHOTO/© UNESCO/Maria Gropas/Old Town of Sana'a in Yemen.

JAKARTA - More than 30 Yemeni soldiers were killed in an attack carried out by separatist forces in Hadhramaut Province, eastern Yemen.

Staff of the General Staff of the Yemeni Armed Forces accused separatist forces in the south of killing the wounded and executing prisoners, which is a violation of international law.

It was reported that 32 Yemeni officers and soldiers were killed in the attack by the separatist forces, while 45 others were injured.

Dilansir ANTARA dari Sputnik, Sabtu, 13 Desember, sejumlah perwira dan tentara juga dilaporkan masih hilang, kata staf umum yang tidak disebutkan namanya tersebut.

The staff accused the separatist forces of seizing the oil-rich eastern province, with the aim of destabilizing Hadhramaut and undermining the political process in the region under the control of internationally recognized authorities.

On Friday, a Yemeni government source told RIA Novosti that a Saudi-Emirati delegation had arrived in Aden, the capital of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, to discuss the withdrawal of southern separatist forces from Yemen's eastern provinces.

The source explained that the delegation met with a member of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen, Aidarus al-Zubaidi, who also heads the Southern Transitional Council. The meeting was intended to defuse the escalation triggered by the occupation of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahrah provinces in eastern Yemen.

The delegation also discussed the mechanism for withdrawing troops affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) from Hadhramaut and Al-Mahrah to their previous positions, as well as the transfer of control of these provinces to forces loyal to the head of the PLC, Rashad Al-Alimi.

English:

English:

English:

Meanwhile, last week, a Yemeni government source told RIA Novosti that Al-Alimi visited Saudi Arabia to discuss military escalation in the east of his country.

The escalation was caused by the takeover of government institutions and airports in Hadhramaut Province by STC separatists in conflict with local tribes over oil.

In early December, a group affiliated with southern separatists took over an oil field in Al Masilah, after clashes with the Hadhramaut Tribes Alliance unit that had been stationed at the site for more than a year.

The clashes resulted in 12 deaths and injuries from both sides, according to a local government source. The situation forced the oil company, which currently produces around 85,000 to 90,000 barrels per day, to halt production.