Arab Coalition redeploys troops to Yemen's Aden

Forces will be under Saudi Arabia's command, says coalition

The international airport in Yemen's southern port city of Aden will close to international flights because of the coronavirus. Reuters

The Arab Coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels has repositioned its troops in the southern city of Aden, it said on Sunday.

The plan is part of the coalition’s efforts to coordinate military and security operations in Yemen to enhance humanitarian efforts, Saudi Press Agency said in a statement attributed to the coalition.

It will also secure maritime routes off Yemen’s coasts and combat terrorism throughout the country.

“Coalition forces have been repositioned in Aden, this will be led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for redeployment and in accordance to the requirements of the current operations,” the news agency said.

The Arab coalition intervened in Yemen, with the assistance of the UAE, on the government’s behalf in 2015 to support and train local forces in liberated areas and launch projects to restore essential services.

The statement also commended the UAE’s efforts in the fight against the Houthis.

“They have contributed to the success of the plans devised to carry out operations efficiently,” the statement said.

The UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, said the move was a "positive development that will bring stability, unify priorities and mobilise efforts",

"We are proud of the victories made by our forces that are part of the Coalition and the UAE's continuous efforts to work with the Kingdom for a better future for Yemen and its people," Dr Gargash said on Twitter.

The development comes as an agreement was made to resolve the differences between Yemen’s government and the Southern Transitional Council.

The agreement, which is expected to be signed within a few days, includes equal representation for southern politicians in President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi’s government and the assimilation of STC-affiliated forces into the police and military, according to officials from both sides.

Since 2014, the government and the STC have been allies in the fight against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and still hold large parts of northern Yemen.

However, clashes broke out between their forces in August before they began Saudi-mediated peace negotiations in Riyadh and Jeddah.