UAE military withdraws from key airport in eastern Yemen

Military units of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have started pulling out of the international airport in Yemen’s Hadhramaut province.

The development was confirmed by the EFE news agency, citing Yemen’s internationally recognized authorities.

Yemeni media outlets reported that four UAE military transport aircraft, carrying hundreds of troops, have already departed from the airport.

The withdrawal follows a decision taken a day earlier by Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, President of the Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, to terminate the joint defence agreement with the UAE.

In addition, Yemeni authorities have formally demanded that the United Arab Emirates withdraw all its forces and technical personnel from Yemeni territory. The withdrawal is required to be completed within 24 hours.

The development followed an air strike by a Saudi-led military coalition on what it said was a weapons shipment for UAE-backed separatist forces in the southern port of Mukalla.

The UAE denied the shipment contained weapons and expressed "deep regret" at the Saudi accusations.

Saudi and the UAE have been allies in the war against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement over the past decade, but the infighting between the rival factions they support has deepened a rift between them.

Saudi Arabia also accused the UAE of "pressuring" the separatists to attack Saudi-backed government forces in two eastern provinces, and warned it would take measures to confront such "highly dangerous" actions.

On December 30, the UAE's defence ministry put out a statement announcing "the termination of the remaining counterterrorism personnel in Yemen of its own volition", six years after the UAE's armed forces had "concluded" their presence.

The ministry explained that the decision to withdraw them was made "in light of recent developments and their potential implications for the safety and effectiveness of counterterrorism missions", without mentioning the coalition strike or Saudi warning.

By Vafa Guliyeva