DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia said Tuesday it has bombed Yemen’s port city of Mukalla over a shipment of weapons for a separatist force that had arrived there from the United Arab Emirates.
The attack marks a new escalation of tensions between the kingdom and the Southern Transitional Council, which is backed by the Emirates. It also further strains ties between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, which have backed rival sides in Yemen’s decade-long war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
A military statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency announced the attacks, which it said took place after ships arrived there from Fujairah, a port city on the UAE’s east coast.
“Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons, which threaten security and stability, the Coalition Air Forces conducted a limited military operation this morning, targeting weapons and combat vehicles offloaded from the two ships in al-Mukalla port,” the report said.
There was no immediate comment from the UAE.
#Saudi #Arabia #bombs #Yemen #shipment #weapons #separatists #arriving #UAE