JAKARTA - The Saudi-led coalition reportedly launched an air strike on the Al Mukalla Port in the eastern part of Yemen with the main target being military supplies said to come from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The official Saudi news agency, Saudi Press Agency (SPA), quoted the coalition's statement as saying that the attack targeted weapons and military equipment that were dismantled from two ships that arrived at the port.
The coalition, quoted by Sputnik, Tuesday, December 30, accused the UAE of sending the military supplies to support the Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatist group, which has been involved in armed conflict with the Yemeni government.
Previously, a Yemeni government source told Sputnik that the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Rashad Al-Alimi, paid a visit to Saudi Arabia to discuss military escalation in the country's eastern region.
The escalation came after the STC separatist group took over a number of government institutions as well as the airport in Hadhramaut Province, following a conflict with a local tribal group triggered by a dispute over the control of oil resources.
In early December, forces affiliated with southern separatists also reportedly seized control of the Al Masilah oilfield owned by the PetroMasila company after clashes with forces of the Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance which had guarded the area for more than a year.
The clash resulted in at least 12 casualties and injuries from both sides.
Due to the deteriorating security situation, PetroMasila was forced to halt oil production, which had previously reached around 85,000 to 90,000 barrels per day.
Until now, there has been no official statement from the UAE or the Southern Transitional Council regarding the air raid on Al Mukalla Port.
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