Saudi Arabia conducted an airstrike on Yemen’s Mukalla port, targeting a weapons shipment reportedly intended for the Southern Transitional Council amid rising regional tensions.
Saudi Arabia has reportedly conducted an airstrike on Yemen’s Mukalla port, targeting a weapons shipment allegedly intended for a southern separatist group.
According to the Associated Press, the attack took place early Tuesday morning, December 30, and involved coalition air forces striking arms and military vehicles unloaded from two ships.
The weapons were reportedly destined for the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist faction in Yemen that receives political and military support from the United Arab Emirates.
A Saudi statement said the limited military operation was necessary “due to the risk and escalating tension posed by the weapons, which threaten security and stability.”
Mukalla is located in Yemen’s Hadramaut province, recently seized by the Southern Transitional Council, which has been expanding its influence in southern Yemen amid the ongoing civil conflict.
Saudi Arabia has consistently supported a unified Yemen, while the UAE has backed separatist groups like the Southern Transitional Council, creating occasional tensions between the two allies despite shared OPEC membership.
The airstrike highlights growing regional friction over Yemen’s fragmented conflict, where rival external backers pursue differing political and military objectives on the ground.
Analysts warn that continued clashes and foreign interventions could further destabilize Yemen, threaten humanitarian access, and complicate efforts to achieve a lasting peace in the war-torn country.
