The leader of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC), Aidarous al-Zubaidi, has fled to an unknown location after failing to board a Riyadh-bound plane, the Saudi-backed coalition in the country said on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia also said al-Zubaidi had gathered weapons and armed fighters before fleeing.
Zubaidi was set to travel to Saudi Arabia days after the Yemeni government said it had asked Riyadh to host a forum on the tensions brewing in some regions where separatist forces were attempting to gain control.
In a statement, the coalition spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki, said a flight carrying a large number of senior leaders of the separatist STC group departed after a delay of more than three hours without Zubaidi, and had no information on his whereabouts.
Maliki added that “information” was available which indicated that Zubaidi had also moved large forces after calling for “mobilization and the movement and arming of factions with light and medium weapons”.
Also Read: Saudi-backed forces recapture key areas in south Yemen
Meanwhile, a council fighting against Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Wednesday it had expelled the leader of a separatist movement and charged him with treason.
The statement carried by SABA news agency controlled by anti-Houthi forces is the latest escalation between Saudi-backed forces and the STC, which had been backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The STC has not commented on the decision of anti-Houthi leadership group, known as the Presidential Leadership Council.
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