Aden standoff puts Hadi's legitimacy at stake
The seizure of Aden by Yemeni separatists threatens to fracture the Saudi-led coalition.
SANAA, Yemen — The objective behind the latest Houthi attack on Yemen’s southern city of Aden was to drive a wedge between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the main partners in the Arab coalition battling the rebel group since 2015.
More than 36 people were killed when Houthis launched a ballistic missile at a military parade in Aden Aug. 1, including a commander of the UAE-backed southern separatists, Brig. Gen. Munir al-Yafei.
Flaunting the success in creating a rupture between allies of the Arab coalition, Ahmed al-Moaiad, a senior Houthi political figure based in the UK, tweeted Aug. 10: “One rocket to al-Jalaa camp [in Aden] completely changed the face of the map.”
The Houthi rebels quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. Yet the southern separatists sought revenge for the death of Yafei, accusing the forces loyal to the internationally recognized government of conspiring with Houthis and giving them information about the location and attendees of the military parade.
