Members of the Saudi military observing committee pose for pictures with officers of Yemen's Southern Transitional Council in the southern province of Abyan, Yemen on Dec. 13, 2020. (Xinhua)
Troops of the Yemeni government and forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council continued to withdraw from their contact lines. The two sides agreed on Thursday to implement a previous peace deal, end conflicts, and establish a joint government.
ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- For the third consecutive day, military officials of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition continued on Saturday redeployment of forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and Yemen's government in the country's southern provinces.
Saudi Arabia seeks to implement a long-delayed power-sharing deal signed between the STC and Yemen's government last year as well as putting an end to internal military conflict between its nominal allies.
Earlier in the day, military units of the STC completely withdrew from flashpoint areas in the country's southern province of Abyan and headed back to their locations in the neighboring province of Lahj.
A military official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity saying that "the 15th Armored Brigade backed by other military units of the STC left Abyan and ceased the military operations there."
"The STC's military units honestly implemented the instructions given by the Saudi officials and moved out from Abyan to other areas determined by the observers," the source said.
Soldiers of the Southern Transitional Council are seen on the top of their military vehicles on Dec. 13, 2020, in the Southern province of Abyan, Yemen. (Xinhua)
He confirmed that a number of army units affiliated with Yemen's government were redeployed from the military contact lines on the outskirts of Zinjibar, the capital city of Abyan.
The pro-government military units withdrew back to their previous headquarters in the country's southeastern province of Shabwa, according to the official.
Amin Hussein, spokesman of the pro-government forces in Abyan, told Xinhua that the process of rearranging the warring factions continued for the third day smoothly without obstacles.
He said that leaders of pro-government forces are continuing to hold meetings with the members of the Saudi observing committee in Abyan to complete the withdrawal process.
According to Hussein, Saudi Arabia's military observers are dealing seriously with the military commanders of the warring factions and approximately succeeded in implementing the troop redeployment process so far.
On the other side, Mohammed Naqib, spokesman of the STC's troops, told Xinhua saying that the redeployment of warring troops proceeded gradually according to the mutual understandings between the factions under the Saudi officials' supervision.
"We received assurances from the Saudi observing committee that the other party also withdrew and implemented the orders as planned by the coalition," said Naqib.
Soldiers of the Southern Transitional Council are seen on the top of their military vehicles on Dec. 13, 2020, in the Southern province of Abyan, Yemen. (Xinhua)
Meanwhile, local residents confirmed to Xinhua that armed confrontations were stopped in Abyan and a calm situation overwhelmed the turbulent areas of the southern province.
They said that all roads linking the coastal town of Shuqrah that's located on the Arabian Sea and other cities of Abyan were reopened for passengers.
On Thursday, the two-warring sides finally reached a consensus on ceasing hostilities and conducting troops redeployment in the country's southern provinces ahead of declaring a new power-sharing government.
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition began the supervision of, through their military observers on the ground, the separation of the Yemeni military forces in Abyan and their return to the fronts, in addition to their exit from the capital Aden.
Saudi military officers are seen next to their armored vehicles on Dec. 13, 2020, in the southern province of Abyan, Yemen. (Xinhua)
The coalition said in a previous statement that it was agreed to announce the new power-sharing Yemeni government as soon as the implementation of the military aspect including the troop replacement completes within a week.
In 2019, Saudi Arabia persuaded the STC and the Yemeni government to hold reconciliation talks, which succeeded in reaching a deal to form a new technocratic cabinet of no more than 24 ministers.
But numerous obstacles have stood in the way of implementing the deal, which excluded the Houthi rebels who are still controlling the capital Sanaa and other northern provinces of the war-torn Arab country.
The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthis overran much of the country and seized all northern regions including Sanaa. ■
