Saudi-led coalition says shipment arriving at Yemeni port carried weapons, ammunition

Riyadh, Dec 31 The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said that two vessels entering the southern port of Mukalla were carrying containers loaded with weapons and ammunition.

In a post on X, coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said the vessels entered the port without obtaining entry permits from the Yemeni government or the Coalition Command, in response to a statement by the United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry claiming that the shipment contained no weapons and was destined for Emirati forces, Xinhua news agency reported.

Turki Al-Maliki added that the UAE transferred the vessels and containers to Al-Rayyan Base without notifying the Saudi side. Both vessels had switched off their tracking and identification systems before entering Yemeni territorial waters, and inspections upon arrival revealed that the containers were loaded with weapons and ammunition.

He said the coalition received confirmed information that the containers were intended to be transported and distributed to multiple locations in Yemen's oil-rich Hadramout province, which borders Saudi Arabia and where the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) has recently expanded its military presence.

The Coalition Command confirmed it had conducted a "limited military operation" in Mukalla earlier in the day. According to Saudi media, the airstrike caused no casualties or collateral damage. However, the attack marks a significant escalation between the two Gulf states.

Amid rising tensions, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone conversation on Tuesday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the latest developments in Yemen and the Gaza Strip.

During the call, the UAE official reaffirmed the country's commitment to working closely with the United States and other partners to help establish sustainable peace in the region.

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