![A fighter loyal to Yemen's separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) holds the separatist flag in the southern Abyan province on May 18, 2020 [NABIL HASAN/AFP via Getty Images]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1213500051-1.jpg)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced an end to its military presence in Yemen on Tuesday amid rising tensions in the country’s south, Anadolu Agency reports. “Given the recent developments and the potential implications for the safety and effectiveness of counterterrorism tasks, the Ministry of Defense announces the termination of the remaining counterterrorism teams in Yemen of its own free will, in a manner that ensures the safety of its personnel, and in coordination with the concerned partners,” the ministry said in a statement. Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad al-Alimi cancelled a joint defense pact with the UAE early Tuesday and gave a 24-hour deadline for the UAE forces to withdraw. He also declared a state of emergency for […]
