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The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday that it is ending its remaining military presence in Yemen, citing security concerns as tensions escalate in the country’s south.
“The Ministry of Defense announces the termination of the remaining counterterrorism teams in Yemen,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the decision was taken “of its own free will,” in a manner ensuring the safety of its personnel and in coordination with relevant partners.
The announcement came after Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, canceled a joint defense agreement with the UAE earlier Tuesday and set a 24-hour deadline for Emirati forces to leave the country.
Al-Alimi also declared a 90-day state of emergency and imposed a 72-hour air and land ban on all ports and border crossings, according to Yemeni officials.
The developments followed a “limited” airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition targeting two ships linked to the UAE at the port of Mukalla, Yemeni sources said.
The strike came amid heightened tensions after Yemen’s separatist Southern Transitional Council seized control of the eastern provinces of Hadramaut and Al-Mahra earlier this month following clashes with government forces.
Meanwhile, STC officials on Tuesday rejected calls from the Saudi-led coalition to pull back from areas they control.
“There is no thinking about withdrawal. It is unreasonable for the landowner to be asked to leave his own land,” STC spokesman Anwar al-Tamimi told AFP. “The situation requires staying and reinforcing.”
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict for more than a decade, with rival factions backed by regional powers vying for control, while diplomatic efforts to stabilize the country have repeatedly stalled.
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