YEMEN Press Agency

Saudi-Emirati agreement to besiege “Hadi and Islah forces” in Shaqra coastal city of Abyan

SANAA, Dec. 14 (YPA) – The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council Militias in Lahj province, took over the tasks of securing the northern entrance of Rabat district linking Aden to Lahj province under instructions issued by Saudi-led coalition leadership.

The move came following a visit by a Saudi military commander to the city of al-Hawtah , the capital of Lahj province, the coalition assigned the task of securing Rabat port to the “security belt” militia led by Jalal al-Rubaie. His forces were reinforced by a number of Saudi military and armored vehicles.

On the other hand, Saudi forces on Friday issued directives to the leadership of “Hadi Forces” in Shabwah province, in order to allow  the militia of the “Shabwah elite” to enter the city of Ataq, the capital of the province, without any resistance from the “Hadi forces” which are consist of  armed groups of the Islah Party.

It is worth mentioning that Saudi orders to empower groups affiliated with the Emirates have been repeated significantly since the signing of the Riyadh Agreement.

Saudi-led coalition forced “Hadi forces” to withdrew from the city of Ahwar, area of “Khobar” and the international coastline, in late November.

The coalition directed the command of Hadi’s 21st Brigade to leave The City of Ahwar and ordered them to retreat to the “Neqabah ” area in Shabwah province, two days after they took control of the city, and replaced them with elements of the UAE’s Southern Transitional Militia.

The departure of “Hadi Forces” from the city of Ahwar  and the khobar area on the coastal line, following  the UAE’s threats to bomb the Islah forces if they try to storm the city of Ahwar again, after which the southern transitional militia was subjected to continuous attacks on many military points belonging to the transitional. It is believed that Islah gunmen carried out these attacks.

While the Islah party continues to reinforce its forces in the coastal city of Shaqra in Abyan province, and the city of Ataq in Shabwah, in preparation for storming the city of Aden and extracting it from the control of the “Southern Transitional”.

Military reinforcements of Hadi’s forces from Marb were exposed to three ambushes in al-Mahfad district in the past two days by the UAE-backed Al Kazm tribes.

Observers confirmed that there is coordination of the UAE-Saudi in order  bring back  to Southern Transitional  Council militia “Shabwah elite” to  the province, following the failure of the Riyadh Agreement signed between Hadi’s government and the southern transitional on November 5, after the governor of “Hadi” in Shabwah, who belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood Group, accused the forces Saudi Arabia of supporting the STC’s  militias against Hadi’s government in Shabwah.

On a related note, The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Friday deployed its militias along  the coastal city of Shaqra in Abyan province in anticipation of any attacks by al-Islah groups.

The STC’s alert comes within the framework of the transitional council’s continuous mobilization to confront forces of Hadi and Islah party coming from Marib province, who vow to invade Zinjbar city, the capital of Abyan, after the ouncil’s military control over it last August.

Observers believe that Saudi directives to empower the militias of the “Southern Transitional Council” at the expense of the Isalh Party, confirming  that there are new arrangements for the situation in the occupied provinces in  southern Yemen, where the Islah Party will have no place.

E.M