The Yemeni Interior Ministry said on Sunday the security situation in Aden was under control, following a day of turmoil in the temporary capital after gumen linked to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) attacked government buildings and clashed with security forces.
The bodies of 15 people have been transported to the city’s hospitals, medical sources in Aden told Asharq Al-Awsat, expecting the death toll to rise after dozens of injured were reported to have been in critical condition.
Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi ordered an immediate ceasefire and the return of forces to their positions.
The country’s Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher denounced the STC’s actions in the interim capital of Aden as a coup.
"A coup is ongoing here in Aden against legitimacy and the country's unity," bin Dagher said in a statement.
He said the situation was headed toward “total military confrontation,” that only serves “Iran, which is trying to consolidate its presence in Yemen through the Houthis and by splitting Yemen.”
Meanwhile, outgoing UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Sheikh Ahmad said he could intervene to solve the armed conflict that erupted in Aden.
“I am following up, with extreme concern, the political and security developments in Aden, and which helped destabilize the city, leaving many casualties and injuries in the ranks of civilians,” the envoy said in a statement, also urging all parties to remain calm and restrained.
“The UN is always ready to help solve disputes” in Yemen, he said.
For his part, Anwar Gargash, the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, said on his Twitter account Sunday that his country’s stand was “clear and principled in supporting the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia,” adding that the Emirates rejected “any act of sedition.”
