RIYADH: Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, the leader of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council, has fled to an unknown location and did not board a plane to the Saudi capital Riyadh, where talks with other southern-based factions are set to take place, the coalition to support the legitimate government of Yemen said.

Saudi Arabia offered to mediate between the factions to resolve tensions in the south of the country and both Al-Zubaidi and Yemen’s presidential council leader Rashad Al-Alimi agreed to attend.

A large delegation of STC members did board the flight to Riyadh, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said early on Wednesday. 

Al-Zubaidi was due to arrive in the Kingdom on Tuesday but during a 3-hour flight delay, the coalition said that “unjustified field movements” were observed in Aden. 

The coalition said it had been provided with information that Al-Zubaidi has moved a large number of forces toward Dhala.

Last week, the coalition carried a out a “limited” airstrike targeting two shipments of smuggled weapons and other military hardware into Mukalla in southern Yemen.

It said the two vessels entered the port without authorization from either the Yemeni government or the coalition, prompting the port’s closure.

The large quantity of “weapons and combat vehicles to support the Southern Transitional Council forces in the eastern governorates of Yemen” aimed to fuel the conflict, the coalition said.

More to follow...