Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi declared on Tuesday a state of emergency throughout the country in wake of the "internal strife caused by the military rebellion in eastern provinces aimed at dividing the republic."
He called for all military formations and forces in the Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra governorates to coordinate completely with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, represented by Saudi Arabia, and to immediately return to their original positions without a fight. They should cede their positions in the two governorates to the National Shield forces.
Al-Alimi said the state of emergency will last 90 days, which can be extended. He also imposed a no fly-zone, sea and ground blockade on all ports and crossings for 72 hours.
The move also stems from "the commitment to the unity of Yemen, its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and the need to confront the Houthi coup that has been ongoing since 2014," he stressed.
Moreover, al-Alimi called on "all United Arab Emirates forces to leave the country within 24 hours."
"We will firmly deal with any rebellion against state institutions," he warned.
He called on the Southern Transitional Council to "return to reason and quickly and unconditionally withdraw its forces from Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra."
Al-Alimi announced the state of emergency shortly after the Saudi-led Arab coalition carried out a "limited" airstrike targeting a military shipment that had arrived in Yemen's Al-Mukalla port.
In a statement, coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said the forces detected on Saturday and Sunday the arrival of two vessels from the Port of Fujairah to Mukalla without obtaining any permits from the Joint Forces Command.
Saudi Arabia expressed on Tuesday its disappointment in the United Arab Emirates for pressuring the STC to carry out military operations on the Kingdom's southern borders in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.
A Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said: "The steps taken by the UAE are considered highly dangerous, inconsistent with the principles upon which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen was established, and do not serve the coalition's purpose of achieving security and stability for Yemen."
"The Kingdom stresses that any threat to its national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralize any such threat," it declared.
