Saudi air strikes hit the home province of Aidarous al-Zubaidi on Wednesday after he reportedly did not travel to Riyadh
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday said the leader of a separatist movement in Yemen “fled” to an unknown location after saying he would travel to the kingdom for negotiations over the future of southern Yemen.
A statement from Maj General Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, represents the latest twist in tensions between it and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the United Arab Emirates.
Al-Malik said the council’s leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, had been due to take a flight to Saudi Arabia. But while other council officials took the flight, he said al-Zubaidi did not.
“The legitimate government and the coalition received intelligence indicating that al-Zubaidi had moved a large force – including armoured vehicles, combat vehicles, heavy and light weapons, and ammunition,” al-Malki said. Al-Zubaidi “fled to an unknown location.”
