{"id":680009,"date":"2026-01-07T13:37:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T13:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/680009\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T13:37:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T13:37:11","slug":"yemen-anti-houthi-council-expels-separatist-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/680009\/","title":{"rendered":"Yemen anti-Houthi council expels separatist leader"},"content":{"rendered":"

ADEN, YEMEN (AP) \u2014 A council fighting against Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels said Wednesday that it had expelled the leader of a separatist movement<\/a> and charged him with treason after he reportedly declined to travel to Saudi Arabia for talks. <\/p>\n

The latest upheaval in southern Yemen is revealing a growing divide among the Persian Gulf powers, cracking the coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis. Longstanding differences between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates \u2014 from Sudan to energy policy \u2014 have spilled into Yemen, where they back rival factions. The rift has deepened strains between the two neighbors, who officially share the goal of countering the Houthis, in control of the capital, Sanaa, since 2014.<\/p>\n

Uncertainty is also growing over the future of Yemen itself \u2014 a country strained by more than a decade of war in the Arab world\u2019s poorest country.<\/p>\n

A delegation of the Southern Transitional Council, or STC, which had been backed by the United Arab Emirates, flew to the Saudi capital, where it was scheduled to attend a meeting to discuss the situation in Yemen\u2019s southern governorates.<\/p>\n

But the STC said in a statement it lost contact with the delegation after it landed. It expressed \u201cdeep concern\u201d over the matter.<\/p>\n

The STC said leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi remained in Aden, the interim capital where the internationally recognized government is based. It also accused Saudi Arabia of launching airstrikes in Yemen\u2019s al-Dhale governorate and causing casualties. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhile a senior STC delegation is in Saudi Arabia pursuing negotiations, the President remains in Aden to ensure security and stability,\u201d wrote Amr al-Bidh, an STC official focused on foreign affairs. \u201cHe will not abandon his people, and he will engage directly when conditions allow.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Presidential Leadership Council, or PLC, headed by Rashad al-Alimi, accused al-Zubaidi in a Facebook statement of \u201cdamaging the republic\u2019s military, political and economic standing,\u201d as well as \u201cforming an armed gang and committing the murder of officers and soldiers of the armed forces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia launches new airstrikes<\/p>\n

More than 15 Saudi airstrikes overnight hit the al-Dhale governorate, targeting STC camps, according to STC leader Salah bin Laghir. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, two eyewitnesses, Hossam Mohsen and Mohamed Awlaqi, told The Associated Press that armored vehicles affiliated with the STC left Aden overnight heading to al-Dahle.<\/p>\n

Other witnesses, Khaled Mathni and Abdallah Abeid, said they saw drones in the sky and flames rising as explosions shook neighborhoods in al-Dahle city and its surrounding areas. They said they believe a weapons warehouse was targeted.<\/p>\n

In a statement Wednesday morning, the STC said it was \u201csurprised\u201d by the Saudi airstrike, adding that it marks a \u201cregrettable escalation.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the Southern Transitional Council condemns these unjustified airstrikes, it demands that the Saudi authorities immediately cease the bombing, guarantee the safety of its delegation in Riyadh, and enable it to communicate immediately, considering this a prerequisite for creating a positive atmosphere for any serious and meaningful dialogue,\u201d the STC statement read.<\/p>\n

The anti-Houthi leadership group, the PLC, formed in April 2022<\/a> after President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi of Yemen\u2019s internationally recognized government stepped down. <\/p>\n

Its members have often pursued competing agendas and relied on different foreign backers, leaving the council fragmented and unable to mount a unified campaign against the Houthis \u2014 even after the United States and Israel launched bombing campaigns targeting the rebels.<\/p>\n

An uneasy ceasefire between the combatants on the ground in Yemen held for years. But tensions flared again<\/a> in late December over the STC\u2019s advances<\/a> in the oil-rich governorates of Hadramout and Mahra, which were once held by Saudi-backed forces. <\/p>\n

Saudis express displeasure with developments<\/p>\n

Maj. Gen, Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, said Wednesday that al-Zubaidi, had been due to take a flight to Saudi Arabia with other council officials but did not join them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe legitimate government and the coalition received intelligence indicating that al-Zubaidi had moved a large force \u2014 including armored vehicles, combat vehicles, heavy and light weapons, and ammunition,\u201d al-Malki said. Al-Zubaidi \u201cfled to an unknown location.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is happening today in the southern governorates after the rebellion of Aidarus al-Zubaidi, and despite all the sincere efforts made by our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Presidential Leadership Council to prevent reaching this stage, is not what we wished to reach, and we are not happy with what has happened,\u201d said Abdualla al-Alimi, vice President of the Presidential Leadership Council on X.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Saudi-backed forces spread across the port city of Mukalla<\/a>, retaking the capital of Hadramout province following days of Saudi airstrikes.<\/a><\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia in recent weeks has bombed<\/a> STC positions and struck what is said was a shipment of Emirati weapons<\/a>. After Saudi pressure and an ultimatum from anti-Houthi forces to withdraw from Yemen, the UAE said Saturday it had withdrawn its forces.<\/p>\n

Yemen, on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula off East Africa, borders the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The war there has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world\u2019s worst humanitarian disasters.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Khaled reported from Cairo, and Gambrell from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ADEN, YEMEN (AP) \u2014 A council fighting against Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels said Wednesday that it had expelled the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":680010,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[206328,206330,12019,4179,14536,206329,12,285,206327,206331,6506,69177,2723,69179,7660,26,263,11853],"class_list":{"0":"post-680009","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-abd-al-rab-mansur-al-hadi","9":"tag-abdallah-abeid","10":"tag-ap-top-news","11":"tag-general-news","12":"tag-houthis","13":"tag-mohamed-awlaqi","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-politics","16":"tag-rashad-al-alimi","17":"tag-salah-bin-laghir","18":"tag-saudi-arabia","19":"tag-saudi-arabia-government","20":"tag-united-arab-emirates","21":"tag-united-arab-emirates-government","22":"tag-war-and-unrest","23":"tag-world","24":"tag-world-news","25":"tag-yemen"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115854091433189495","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=680009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/680010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=680009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=680009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=680009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}