Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 31 January 2018

Separatists advance on presidential palace in southern Yemen

deadline issued by the sep- with suspicion because of
aratists for the government his alliance with the Ye-
to resign expired. Hadi, meni branch of the Muslim
who has been in Saudi Ara- Brotherhood, a pan-Arab
bia for most of the war, has political movement that
described the separatists’ the Emirates and some
action as a “coup.” The vi- other Arab states view as a
olence has killed at least 36 terrorist organization. Over
people and wounded 185 the past year, the UAE has
since Sunday, according to trained and armed its own
the International Commit- forces in Yemen, including
tee of the Red Cross. the separatists, in a direct
It has also exposed deep di- challenge to Hadi. Saudi
visions within the Saudi-led Arabia has thus far avoid-
alliance against the Iran- ed taking sides.
backed rebels, known as The U.S. State Department
Houthis, who control much has expressed concern
of northern Yemen, includ- and called on all parties
ing the capital, Sanaa. The to “refrain from escalation
war has been locked in a and further bloodshed.”
bloody stalemate for the Washington backs the Sau-
last three years, with more di-led coalition. “We also
This frame grab from video shows fighters loyal to the separatist so-called Southern Transitional than 10,000 people killed call for dialogue among
Council, backed by the United Arab Emirates, chanting after taking control of Mount Hadid in and some 2 million dis- all parties in Aden to reach
Aden which was controlled by forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, in Aden placed by the fighting. a political solution,” the
Yemen, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. The UAE has viewed Hadi statement said. q
Associated Press
By AHMED AL-HAJ claimed victory against the main inside. The official de-
Associated Press extremist group. The mili- clined to say whether the
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Ye- tants claimed the attack in prime minister was to leave
meni separatists backed by a statement circulated on Aden. All officials spoke on
the United Arab Emirates social media, saying it was condition of anonymity un-
seized the area around the in retaliation for abuses by der regulations.
presidential palace in the U.S. and UAE-backed forc- In the northern district of
southern city of Aden on es. Dar Saad, witnesses said
Tuesday after fierce battles The security officials said coalition jets bombed a
with forces loyal to the in- fighters loyal to the so- military camp of Hadi’s
ternationally-backed gov- called Southern Transitional forces before separatists
ernment, security officials Council fought all way to took control of it. Brig. Gen.
said. the gates of the palace Mahran al-Qubati told the
A Saudi-led coalition that in central Aden, forcing AP that his forces respect-
includes the UAE has been Hadi’s troops to abandon ed a cease-fire announced
battling rebels in northern their positions. The officials by the coalition earlier in
Yemen for nearly three said Hadi’s prime minister the day but the separatists
years on behalf of Presi- and several Cabinet mem- used the truce to attack his
dent Abed Rabbo Man- bers would soon leave Ye- base using Emirati armored
sour Hadi’s government. men for Riyadh, where vehicles.
But despite having a com- Hadi is already based, but Col. Turki al-Malki, the coali-
mon enemy, the UAE and by late Tuesday it was not tion spokesman, declined
Hadi have been locked in yet clear if they had done to comment on the bomb-
a long-running power strug- so. ing. “I am not able to dis-
gle, which boiled over on Saudi troops who have cuss the details of an ongo-
Sunday as clashes erupted been guarding the palace ing operation,” he told the
across the government’s for months stopped the AP.
seat of power. separatists at the gate, pre- The fighting had subsided
Elsewhere in Yemen, al- venting them from enter- by midday, when check-
Qaida militants attacked a ing. A senior government points run by both sides
checkpoint in the southern official told The Associated could be seen across the
Shabwa province, killing at Press that Prime Minister city.
least 12 soldiers in an area Ahmed Obaid Bin Daghar The fighting in Aden erupt-
where Yemeni troops had and several ministers re- ed on Sunday, when a