Aden, Yemen – The Southern Transitional Council (STC) categorically denied allegations made by former Hadramawt governor Salem al-Khanbashi and Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani regarding the existence of secret prisons or weapons intended for assassinations at Riyan Airport in Mukalla. The STC asserted that these claims are baseless and contradict the facts on the ground.
Earth’s facts expose the falsity of the claims.
Anwar al-Tamimi, spokesman for the Southern Transitional Council, said in an official statement that the allegations aim to distort the UAE’s role in securing the Hadramawt coast. He also noted that the UAE-backed Hadrami Elite Forces have succeeded in completely halting assassinations since liberating the coast from al-Qaeda. Before the Elite Forces were established, the region witnessed more than 300 assassinations of security and military personnel. All of these assassinations remained unsolved.
Al Rayyan Airport under joint international supervision
Al-Tamimi confirmed that Al-Rayyan Airport houses Emirati and Saudi forces, as well as units from other countries within the international coalition against terrorism. He emphasized that any accusation of the presence of prisons or weapons implies the presence of all these countries, not just one specific party. Therefore, he considers the previous claims to be entirely misleading.
Comparison between the coast and the valley
The spokesman for the Southern Transitional Council pointed out that the Wadi and desert regions, which lie outside the influence of the Hadrami Elite Forces, have witnessed a continued and even higher rate of assassinations targeting civilians and security personnel. These assassinations have even claimed the lives of five Saudi soldiers, including the commander of the force in Hadramawt. Meanwhile, the coast has remained free of any assassinations during the ten years of the Emirati military presence supporting the Elite Forces.
The elite and the Emirates: A role in protection, not in killing
Al-Tamimi concluded his statement by saying: “How can these people claim to have found assassination weapons in an area that has not witnessed a single assassination during the ten years of Emirati military presence supporting the elite?” He emphasized that the role of the elite and the UAE has always been to pursue killers and protect civilians, not to carry out assassinations.
