Saudi commandos to secure govt sites in Yemen’s Aden

By Shukri Hussein

ADEN, Yemen (AA) - A Saudi military force has been deployed to Yemen’s southern city of Aden to secure a number of strategic sites in the city, which currently serves as the interim headquarters of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

Last night, a contingent of Saudi commandos -- equipped with heavy armor and military vehicles -- arrived in Aden’s international airport, according to a Yemeni military source.

Speaking anonymously due to restrictions on talking to media, the source told Anadolu Agency that the troops would be used to secure several vital facilities, including Aden’s airport, seaport and the Maashiq Presidential Palace.

“The [Saudi] force will be used to secure the presidential palace in advance of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi’s final return to Yemen after two years shuttling between Riyadh and Aden,” the source said.

He went on to note that a military force affiliated with the Yemeni government -- currently conducting military exercises in Saudi Arabia -- was expected to soon arrive in Aden to help the Saudi force carry out its task.

It is the first time for Saudi ground forces to be deployed in Aden since the conflict in Yemen broke out some three years ago.

Impoverished Yemen has remained in a state of civil war since 2014, when the Shia Houthi militia group overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa, forcing President Hadi’s government to temporarily flee to Saudi Arabia.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Hadi’s pro-Saudi government.

According to UN officials, more than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict to date.