Khaberni - The Saudi-led Arab coalition bombed weapons, equipment, and combat vehicles at the Yemeni port of Mukalla early this Tuesday morning after their arrival from the Fujairah port in the UAE, en route to the Southern Transitional Council.
The coalition's spokesperson, Major General Turki Al-Malki, stated that on Saturday and Sunday, December 27 and 28, two ships from the Fujairah port in the UAE entered the port of Mukalla without obtaining official permits from the coalition command.
Al-Malki mentioned that the crew of the two ships disabled their tracking systems, and a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles were offloaded to support the forces of the Southern Transitional Council in the eastern provinces of Yemen (Hadramout, Al Mahrah) with the aim of fueling the conflict.
Al-Malki considered this action a clear violation of efforts to impose calm and reach a peaceful solution, as well as a breach of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 of 2015.
Al-Malki explained that, based on a request from Rashad Al-Alimi, head of the leadership council, and due to the danger and escalation these weapons pose, the coalition air forces conducted a "limited" military operation at the port of Mukalla this Tuesday morning.
He noted that the operation "targeted weapons and combat vehicles that were unloaded from the ships at the port of Mukalla, after documenting this and then carrying out the military operation in accordance with the rules of international humanitarian law and its customary rules, ensuring no collateral damage occurs."
Al-Malki affirmed the "continuation of the coalition command to de-escalate and impose calm in the provinces of Hadramout and Al Mahrah, and prevent any military support from any country to any Yemeni component without coordination with the legitimate Yemeni government and the coalition, aiming to support the efforts of the kingdom and the coalition in achieving security and stability and preventing the expansion of the conflict."
The coalition released video footage documenting the offloading of weapons, vehicles, and equipment from the ships at the port of Mukalla, eastern Yemen.
Activists on social media also shared scenes of burned vehicles inside the port after they were targeted by the bombing, noting that the coalition had previously requested an urgent evacuation of the port by civilians.
The provinces of Hadramout and Al Mahrah in eastern Yemen have been witnessing increased military tension since early December, following the Southern Transitional Council's invasion of the provinces, prompting the legitimate Yemeni command to make a formal request to the coalition for intervention.
