Saudi warplanes drop bombs over Mahra amid tensions with UAE-backed forces

MHARA, Dec. 24 (YPA) -Saudi warplanes on Tuesday evening dropped explosive bombs over Mahra governorate following armed tensions between Saudi-backed “Dera Al-Watan” forces and UAE-backed militias.

Activists posted footage showing Saudi warplanes over the Al-Ghaydah axis at around 5:00 p.m., where UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces are deployed.

The aircraft reportedly dropped flares as warning measures, signaling heightened security alert and close monitoring of STC movements in the area.

The aerial escalation came after explicit threats from UAE-backed commander Fadl Ba’ash to attack Saudi-backed positions and camps in Al-Ghaydah.

Reports indicate that the Saudi-backed “Dera Al-Watan” forces withdrew from Al-Ghaydah airport amid tensions that nearly sparked violent clashes.

Since March 2015, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have been engaged in a power struggle over Yemen’s oil-rich provinces, and strategic resources, as part of military operations supporting US interests in the region.

On the diplomatic and military front, a bilateral meeting was held earlier Tuesday between the commanders of the Saudi and Omani air forces. The two sides discussed the current situation and recent developments in the region following the UAE-backed forces’ incursions into Hadramout on the Saudi border and Mahra on the Omani border in eastern Yemen.

@E.Y.M