UAE-backed forces seize province in Yemen

By Hacer Baser

DHALE, Yemen (AA) - United Arab Emirates-backed forces seized Yemen's Dhale province Sunday following clashes with the Yemeni army.

According to information obtained from government-affiliated security sources, clashes between the two sides were limited.

No information on the number of dead or casualties was provided.

Government sources announced Sunday that the UAE-backed Hizam Emni forces had tried to capture security checkpoints of the Interior Ministry in southern Dhale, leaving one soldier dead and 20 others wounded.

The Hizam Emni forces were established in 2015 to operate in Aden, a port city regarded by the government as an "interim capital", and surrounding provinces.

The forces are administrated by the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which is officially described as "southern separatists" by the Yemeni government.

In January, intense clashes between presidential protection guards affiliated with the legitimate government of Yemen and the Hizam Emni forces broke out in Aden.

In the end, Hizam Emni seized some government headquarters.

Dhale province has recently been subjected to intense bombardment targeting military units and civilians.

Yemen has been dogged by chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa, forcing the Saudi-backed government to set up an interim capital in Aden.

One year later, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Houthis of serving as an Iranian proxy -- launched a massive military campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back the Houthis’ territorial gains.