During the early hours of Saturday, gunmen loyal to Saudi Arabia imposed their control over many military points and locations belonging to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC)’s militia in the coastal strip leading to the city of Aden, west of Lahj province.
According to media sources, the gunmen of Al-Subaiha tribes, reinforced by the forces of the so-called Shield of the Nation, (Dera Al-Watan) factions funded by Saudi Arabia, clashed with the STC’s “Security Belt” militia on the coastal road in the areas of Madhariba and Ras Al-Ara districts, near Bab al-Mandab Strait, and forced them to leave their military positions.
The sources pointed out that Al-Subaiha tribesmen took control of a number of points belonging to the “STC” militia and seized a number of military vehicles and equipment, indicating that Saudi directives ruled to hand over those areas to the forces supervised by Tariq Affash.
According to Yemen press agency, the sources stated that Saudi Arabia took advantage of the hostility between Al-Subaiha tribesmen and the STC’s leaders of due to repeated violations against the tribes of Al-Subaiha and fueled it by creating a military force from Al-Subaiha, and presenting them to the arena as a parallel force and against the people of Dhalea.
The sources confirmed that the recruitment of Al-Subaiha tribesmen and their funding from Saudi Arabia is a military step to besiege the STC from the northwestern side of the city of Aden, and in the same context worked to finance military brigades from the sons of Abyan to tighten their control over the eastern gate of Aden.
This comes after the Saudi-led coalition handover of Al-Anad base to “Dera Al-Watan Forces”, which are supervised by “Tariq Affash” and funded by Saudi Arabia. They were trained during the past months on the west coast.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense summoned about 17 tribal sheikhs from Al-Subaiha to Riyadh last month, and entrusted them with the task of expelling the STC militia from Madhariba and Ras Al-Ara districts, west of Lahj province.
