Saudi Arabia alleges UAE smuggled wanted Yemen separatist leader to Abu Dhabi

Saudi Arabia alleges that the United Arab Emirates has smuggled a separatist leader in Yemen wanted for treason out of the country and flown him to Abu Dhabi.

The UAE has no immediate reaction to the claim, which further escalates tensions between the neighboring nations on the Arabian Peninsula as their partnership in the years-long war in Yemen breaks down.

A Saudi military statement claims Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), fled Yemen by boat to Somalia. Then, UAE officials flew al-Zubaidi to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, the statement says.

The statement from Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki includes him naming a major general in the UAE as being involved in al-Zubaidi’s alleged escape, along with identifying his nom de guerre — something highly unusual in the typical clubby world of Gulf Arab relations. It also suggests an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft used in the operation was previously used in “conflict zones” like Ethiopia, Libya and Somalia — routes the Emirati military has been accused of funneling weapons through in the past.

The UAE has denied running guns into those areas. The Emirati Foreign Ministry does not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The STC does not immediately acknowledge the allegation either, saying yesterday that al-Zubaidi has remained in Aden, where forces allied against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have congregated for years since the rebels seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.

The Saudi statement comes as part of what appears to be an organized media push over the incident by Saudi broadcasters and newspapers. The Saudi-owned satellite news channel Al Arabiya has aired what it describes as intercepted telephone calls highlighting al-Zubaidi’s alleged escape.