Saudi-Emirati understanding to hand over Shabwah to US forces, sources say
SHABWAH, March 04 (YPA) – Media sources revealed on Wednesday details about an agreement between Saudi-led coalition countries to hand over the oil rich province of Shabwah to the American forces.
Marwan al-Ahmadi, a pro-coalition journalist, explained on his Twitter account about the agreement that ordered the gradual withdrawal of Saudi and Emirati forces from Shabwah and the replacing them with the US forces.
Al-Ahmadi confirmed the departure of a coalition military convoy accompanied by a number of 21st Brigade forces from Ataq airport towards al-Wadea port this evening.
Observers say the US forces are looking for a foothold in Shabwah, especially as their allies losing the province Marib, with the rapid the advancements of the Yemeni forces to liberate what is left of areas in the province.
Two US barges arrived at the port of Balhaf in March 2020 from Afghanistan, following Qatar’s signing the agreement between the Taliban and US in February of the same year that stated the US forces would gradually withdraw from Afghanistan.
Former President Trump said the presence of US troops in Afghanistan is not beneficial to the American people.
At the time, southern media sources confirmed the arrival of a 110-strong US force, reinforced by 10 Black Hawk aircraft and 30 Harvey armored vehicles, as well as four Patriot air defense systems and an integrated field operations room from Afghanistan, to the port of Balhaf, which the UAE has taken as its military base in Shabwah.
During that time, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) had welcomed the American presence in the occupied provinces, southern Yemen.
“We welcome you to the Arabian Sea,” vice-president of the STC, Hani bin Brek tweeted, commenting on a photo of the US Fifth Fleet.
Bin Brek considered that the US forces are coming to combat what he called “terrorism and terrorists,” indicating that the American forces stationed in the Arabian Sea are “the STC’s ally.”
E.M