Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance group has condemned hostile movements by the United States in the eastern provinces of al-Mahrah and Hadhramaut as a “dangerous assault” and “flagrant violation” of the Arab country’s sovereignty.
In a statement carried by Yemen’s al-Masirah television network, Ansarullah’s Political Bureau held the self-proclaimed Yemeni regime, backed by Saudi Arabia and the US, responsible for any betrayal or breach of the country’s sovereignty.
It came after US Ambassador to the self-proclaimed Yemeni regime Steven Fagin and Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, visited al-Mahrah and held talks with its governor Mohammed Ali Yaser. The talks took place at a meeting room with pictures of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Ansarullah’s Political Bureau voiced opposition to any foreign activities on Yemeni soil, saying that the nation reserves the right to counter foreign intervention in all possible ways.
“The US movements are in line with the eight-year aggression against Yemen. They amount to a new betrayal by mercenaries to sell or rent Yemen’s coasts and islands to the occupiers,” it said.
“Once again, we express our opposition to the aggressive and hostile movements of the US in al-Mahrah. We condemn these actions and warn of their consequences.”
Also in its statement, Ansarullah’s Political Bureau called on the Yemenis living in southern and eastern regions to exercise vigilance and work towards foiling the conspiracies that target the country’s unity, sovereignty and independence.
Informed sources said the US delegation made its visit to al-Mahrah under the pretext of fighting the smuggling of weapons and drugs.
The visit, they added, is in line with the US government’s secret plans in eastern Yemen meant to boost military presence in the strategic region.
Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with its Arab allies and with arms and logistics support from the US and other Western states, launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015.
The objective was to crush Ansarullah, which has been running state affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen, and reinstall the Riyadh-friendly regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.
While the Saudi-led coalition has failed to achieve any of its objectives, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis and spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.