Saudi-led coalition launches 'limited' airstrike against 2 ships at Yemen's Mukalla port

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen on Tuesday launched a "limited" airstrike targeting two ships at the Mukalla port in Yemen.

In remarks reported by the Saudi Press Agency, Coalition Forces spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said two vessels arriving from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) port of Fujairah entered the port of Mukalla on Dec. 27-28 without securing official authorization from the coalition's Joint Forces Command.

The spokesperson said that a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles were unloaded to support the forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen's eastern governorates of Hadramout and Mahra, "with the aim of fueling the conflict."

"Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons, which threaten security and stability, the Coalition Air Forces conducted a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles unloaded from the two ships at the port of al-Mukalla after documenting the violations," al-Maliki said.

He added that the operation was carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules, ensuring "no collateral damage occurred."

Al-Maliki reaffirmed the coalition's commitment to de-escalate the tension in the eastern provinces of Hadramaut and Al-Mahra and to prevent any military shipment to any faction without coordination with the legitimate Yemeni government and the coalition.

There was no immediate comment from the UAE on the operation and the statement.

Tension has escalated in Yemen after the Southern Transitional Council (STC) took control of Hadramaut and Al-Mahra early this month after clashes with government forces.

The STC repeatedly claims that successive governments have politically and economically marginalized southern regions and calls for their separation from the north-claims rejected by the Yemeni authorities, as they insist on preserving the country's territorial unity.