Saudi-led coalition says Yemen separatist leader boarded vessel to Somaliland

Jan 7, 2026

A billboard displays an image of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC), who, according to the Saudi-backed coalition, fled to an unknown destination, in Aden, Yemen January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Fawaz Salman — Fawaz Salman

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said the head of Yemen's southern separatists, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, left for Somaliland aboard a vessel and then boarded a plane to Somalia's Mogadishu.

The plane that took him to Mogadishu waited for an hour and then flew to a military airport in Abu Dhabi, the coalition said in a statement, without specifying whether al-Zubaidi was still on board.

(Reporting by Hatem Maher; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

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