US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for “restraint“ amid escalating violence in Yemen, but avoided taking sides between Saudi Arabia and the UAE - two key Washington partners involved in the conflict, AFP reported.
“We call for restraint and continued diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting solution“, Rubio wrote in a statement. “We are grateful to our partners - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for their diplomatic leadership”, he added.
On December 9, the chairman of the UAE-backed Yemeni South Transitional Council (STC) Aydar al-Zubaidi announced the establishment of control over the eastern provinces of Hadramaut and El Mahra and noted that the next stage is planned to create the institutions of the future state of South Yemen, TASS recalls.
On December 25, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry called the separatists' actions an unjustified escalation and called on the STC to withdraw its forces from these regions.
The internationally recognized government of Yemen has asked the coalition led by its ally Saudi Arabia to take "military measures" in support of Yemeni forces in the territory that is completely under the control of separatists, Agence France-Presse reported.
The authorities sent their request to Riyadh in order to "protect innocent citizens in Hadramaut province and help the armed forces restore calm," the state news agency reported. SABA.
The Southern Transitional Council separatists earlier accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out airstrikes on their positions.