Aden/Abu Dhabi, Jan. 8 -- Yemen's separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) leader Aidarous Al-Zubaidi fled the country in a clandestine operation involving sea and air transfers before arriving in Abu Dhabi, according to the Saudi-led military coalition, in a disclosure that highlights the deepening rupture within the anti-Houthi alliance.
Speaking on Thursday, coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Malki said Al-Zubaidi left Aden late on January 7 after coordinating directly with senior Emirati military officials. Al-Malki described a carefully choreographed escape that saw the STC leader move first by sea, then by air, while repeatedly disabling vessel and aircraft identification systems.
According to the coalition's account, Al-Zubaidi ...