The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized authorities said it carried out a “limited” airstrike early Tuesday on weapons and military vehicles at the port of Mukalla, citing an unauthorized shipment allegedly linked to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council.
In a statement carried by Saudi state media, the coalition said two vessels arriving from the UAE port of Fujairah entered Mukalla on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 27–28, without coalition authorization, disabled their tracking systems and unloaded a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles.
The coalition said the materiel was intended to support the Southern Transitional Council and described it as an imminent threat to security and stability, prompting the strike.
The strike hit the dock area where the cargo was unloaded. The coalition said the operation caused no casualties and no collateral damage.
The incident triggered political backlash within Yemen’s Saudi-backed leadership. Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi demanded that all UAE forces leave Yemen within 24 hours and moved to cancel security arrangements with Abu Dhabi. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later warned that the UAE’s steps were “extremely dangerous,” amid rising tensions among Gulf-backed factions operating in southern and eastern Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition is a military alliance formed in 2015 that conducts operations in Yemen in support of the country’s internationally recognized government. It is led by Saudi Arabia and operates through joint command structures coordinating air, land and maritime activities.
The Southern Transitional Council is a southern Yemeni political and military movement advocating greater autonomy or independence for southern regions. It maintains its own security forces and participates in Yemen’s fragmented anti-Houthi landscape through shifting alliances.