Saudi Arabia hopes for UAE troop withdrawal from Yemen within 24 hours

Call comes after Yemen’s presidential council set 24-hour deadline for UAE to withdraw troops

By Lina Altawell

RIYADH (AA) – Saudi Arabia voiced hope Tuesday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will withdraw its forces from Yemen within 24 hours after a deadline set by the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council.

In a meeting chaired by King Salman, the Saudi Cabinet said the UAE withdrawal will help ease tensions and prevent further escalation in the country.

Yemen’s presidential council chairman Rashad al-Alimi cancelled a joint defense pact with the UAE early Tuesday and gave a 24-hour deadline for the UAE forces to withdraw. He also declared a 90-day state of emergency, along with a 72-hour air and land ban on all ports and border crossings.

The move came shortly after the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen launched a "limited" airstrike targeting two ships linked to the UAE at the Mukalla port in Yemen.

The attack came amid rising tensions since the Southern Transitional Council (STC) captured the eastern provinces of Hadramaut and Al-Mahra early this month after clashes with government forces.

Kaynak:

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