The coalition said it targeted secessionist forces after Aidarous al-Zubaidi fled just hours before he was scheduled to hold talks in Riyadh.
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition has launched airstrikes in Yemen’s southern Dhale governorate, saying the attacks targeted secessionist forces after their leader failed to travel for scheduled peace talks in Riyadh.
In a statement issued early Wednesday, the coalition said Southern Transitional Council (STC) leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi was expected to depart from the southern city of Aden on Tuesday night to participate in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict between his group and Yemen’s internationally recognised government. However, he reportedly fled instead of boarding the scheduled flight.
However, al-Zubaidi did not board the aircraft and instead fled to an undisclosed location, according to the coalition.
The coalition said it later received intelligence indicating that al-Zubaidi had mobilised a large force, including armoured and combat vehicles, as well as heavy and light weapons and ammunition.
According to the statement, the force departed the southern city of Aden around midnight and was subsequently tracked to Yemen’s Dhale governorate. In response, the coalition said it carried out “pre-emptive strikes” at around 4:00 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) to neutralise the forces and prevent what it described as an attempt to escalate the conflict.
The Southern Transitional Council later called on Saudi Arabia to halt the airstrikes, saying it had lost contact with its delegation in Riyadh.
The separatist group also stated that al-Zubaidi remains in Aden, where he is overseeing military and security operations in the city.
