Saudi Arabia boosts troop levels in S. Yemen amid clashes between coalition allies

Saudi Arabia has deployed more troops in southern Yemen to try to contain clashes between nominal allies in the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis. The fight for the south of the country has opened a new conflict, focused around the port of Aden, Reuters said.

Saudi soldiers and armed vehicles arrived over the weekend in the capital of the oil-producing Shabwa province, according to two local officials. The United Arab Emirates-backed separatists have been battling there against the forces of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.

Saudi Arabia has reinforced its positions in Shabwa and Aden as Riyadh calls for talks to resolve the crisis and refocus the Western-backed coalition on battling the Houthis.

“Saudi forces arrived in Shabwa and started working with the local government for a de-escalation and a ceasefire,” coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said.