YEMEN Press Agency

Commander of US Fifth Fleet arrives in Mahra

MAHRA, March. 03 (YPA) – Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Fifth Fleet and commander of Naval Forces in the US Central Command, accompanied by the US ambassador to the Saudi-led puppet government in Aden, has arrived in the city of Al-Ghaydah in Mahra governorate, in a flagrant violation of Yemeni sovereignty.

According to well-Informed political sources, Cooper and US Ambassador Stephen Fagin, arrived along with a number of military leaders of their country, during the past hours to Al-Ghaydah airport, which has been turned into a military base for American, British and Israeli forces on the Arabian Sea.

They met with pro-coalition governor, Mohammed Ali bin Yasser, and discussed “maritime security efforts” and confront terrorist threats.

The sources confirmed that the meeting was held at the headquarters of the “Saudi Forces Command” inside the airport, which has been closed to the people of Mahra since 2018, in the presence of the so-called “Commander of the Coast Guard” in the pro-coalition government, Khaled Al-Qumali.

The sources pointed out that the US military visit came after a meeting held by Governor bin Yasser with the US ambassador in the Saudi capital Riyadh last January, meant to carry out new tasks for the US forces present at Al-Ghaydah airport, under the pretext of “combating smuggling” and “confronting the potential dangers of terrorism.”

The eastern oil-rich provinces of Yemen, Mahra, Hadramout, Shabwa and Marib, have become the focus of the ambitions of the occupation countries US, UK and France, with the aim of controlling the sources of oil and gas.

US and European countries intensified their movements in the eastern provinces of Yemen after the escalation of conflict in Ukraine last year, and showed great interest in those areas.

The Saudi Al-Hadath TV confirmed from its sources in the US Department of Defence that Washington has retained two CIA military bases in areas under the control of pro-coalition government, including in the city of Mukalla in Hadhramaut Governorate.

E.M