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Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, leader of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC), did not board the flight to Riyadh and instead disappeared to an unknown location, according to the Saudi-led coalition in the country reported on Wednesday.
This incident coincides with ongoing efforts to de-escalate the recent clashes that erupted last month between the STC and Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Zubaidi was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia shortly after Yemen’s government announced it had requested Riyadh to host a summit addressing Southern Yemen’s issues.
A coalition spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki, stated that a flight carrying multiple senior leaders of the separatist group departed after being delayed for over three hours, without Zubaidi onboard, and with no information about his location. During the delay, intelligence suggested that Zubaidi had mobilized significant forces, prompting the coalition to undertake limited airstrikes in Yemen’s southern province of al-Dhalea after monitoring the movement of armed groups leaving their bases. Reports from local sources indicated that more than 15 strikes occurred in Zubaidi’s hometown of Al-Dhalea.
Following these developments, the Yemeni presidential council revoked Zubaidi’s membership and referred him to the public prosecutor on charges including high treason. State news agency SABA reported that the council’s chairman, Rashad al-Alimi, accused Zubaidi of inciting rebellion, attacking constitutional authorities, and harming civilians in the south.
The STC has historically been part of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, but recent tensions have intensified the conflict in the region.
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