Ben Brik announces “declaration of war”, Saudi Arabia reinforces its forces in Aden

ADEN, Aug. 7 (YPA) – In a remarkable development of accelerating events in southern Yemen, the Vice President of the Southern Transition Council (STC) Hani Ben Brik launched what he describes as a “declaration of war”, calling for “a popular uprising to expel the government of the exiled Hadi and Islah party (Brotherhood) from Aden.

“The Islah Party is leading a dangerous plot to take control of the city of Aden,” Ben Brik said at a press conference in Aden.

Although he described the popular uprising as peaceful, his speech seemed to instigate the war, adding that “the call for popular uprising comes to confront forces hostile to the South,” referring to the exiled Hadi’s government.

In his press conference, Ben Brik waved what he called “the readiness of the southern resistance forces (UAE-Backed militias) to war if necessary, with the fugitive Hadi’s government” and its allies Saudi Arabia and Islah party.

“We are ready for war if necessary, and any southern commander can respond strongly to any attack, without referring to the leadership of the Council,” he said, urging his followers.

On Tuesday morning, hundreds of gunmen belonging to the Transitional Council on the back of military crews poured into performances plaza in Khormaksar to protest against the coalition-backed government

They chanted slogans calling for the expulsion of the exiled Hadi’s government from the south.

Ben Brik’s remarks come against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s dispatch of military reinforcements to Aden, which many followers deemed as “an indicator of the willingness of the Saudis and their followers on the one hand and the Emiratis and their followers on the other, to fight a bone-breaking battle for control of the occupied provinces.”

E.M