Emirati officers burn files at al-Rayyan airport before leaving Hadramout

Local sources in Mukalla, the capital of Hadramout province in eastern Yemen, said that Emirati officers burned a large number of important files and documents late on Tuesday night into Wednesday, shortly before leaving al-Rayyan Airport.

The sources told Al-Quds Al-Arabi that the burned papers were linked to all the activities carried out by the Emirati forces during their presence in the area.

The same sources added that military convoys belonging to the Southern Transitional Council forces, which are backed by Abu Dhabi, left Nahb Camp in Ghayl Bin Yamin district and headed towards the city of Seiyun in Wadi Hadramout, where they are expected to be stationed.

On Tuesday, the UAE Ministry of Defence announced the withdrawal of what it described as counter-terrorism teams from Yemen. On the same day, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it deeply regretted the content of a statement issued by Saudi Arabia, describing it as containing what it called “serious inaccuracies” about the UAE’s role in the ongoing events in Yemen.

In the same context, Head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi declared on Tuesday the cancellation of the joint defence agreement with the UAE. The decision ordered all Emirati forces and personnel to leave all Yemeni territory within 24 hours.

READ: UAE announces end to its military presence in Yemen