U.A.E. to Pull Troops After Saudi-Led Airstrike on Shipment in Yemen

The United Arab Emirates said it would withdraw its remaining troops from Yemen hours after a Saudi-led coalition carried out an airstrike on an Emirati shipment at the southern port of Al Mukalla.

The coalition said it targeted an arms shipment bound for the Southern Transitional Council, or S.T.C., and that two ships from the Emirates arrived without permits and began unloading a "large quantity" of weapons and armored vehicles, Brig. Gen. Turki al-Malki said. The Emirati Foreign Ministry denied the shipment included weapons, saying it contained vehicles intended for Emirati forces only.

Images from news agencies showed military vehicles and pickup trucks badly burned or destroyed at the port, and residents reported a loud explosion early in the morning. An Emirati Defense Ministry statement described the troop withdrawal as voluntary and said the UAE presence in Yemen had been "limited to specialized teams as part of counterterrorism efforts."

It was unclear how many Emirati soldiers remained in Yemen or what effect their departure will have, and the coalition spokesman did not say whether there were any casualties from the strike. The incident has highlighted a widening rift between the two Gulf allies, including a recent Saudi ultimatum for separatists to withdraw from territory they have seized.

Key Topics

World, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Al Mukalla, Southern Transitional Council