Aden (AFP)
Separatist forces under the Southern Transitional Council (TCC) have withdrawn from several public buildings they had recently taken in Aden Yemeni loyalist fighters, said Saturday a member of the government.
The headquarters of the government, the Supreme Council of Justice and the Central Bank, as well as the Aden hospital, have been evacuated by separatists, the government's internationally recognized information minister, Muammar al -Iryani.
The start of the withdrawal was previously announced in a statement by the coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which has been intervening in Yemen since 2015 against the Houthi rebels.
Preparations are underway for a withdrawal of separatists from the headquarters of the Interior Ministry and the Aden refinery, Iryani added.
AFP journalists were able to see Saudi and Emirati military vehicles protecting the seat of the government, the Supreme Council of Justice and the Central Bank, while noting that TCC forces continued to hold similar positions.
The presidential palace has also been under the protection of Saudi forces, according to these journalists.
In its statement, the military coalition led by Ryad talks about the beginning of a withdrawal of separatists, under his supervision, of "positions occupied in recent days" in Aden.
Many other buildings in Aden, including military positions, remain under the control of these separatists.
A Saudi-Emirati military delegation arrived in Aden on Thursday to try to defuse the extremely tense situation in this large port city in southern Yemen, the provisional seat of the government since the capital Sanaa, in the north, was conquered by Houthi rebels. 2014.
The recent fighting in Aden has posed a threat in the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a pillar of the coalition: the separatists of the STC are formed by Abu Dhabi, while Ryad supports the government of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
STC and loyalist forces are theoretically allies in the fight against the Houthis.
The fighting, which lasted several days, left at least 40 dead and 260 wounded, according to the UN. They resulted in the separatists taking several positions and buildings controlled by Hadi's forces.
© 2019 AFP