UAE warplanes fly over airspace of Shabwah

The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s warplanes  on Monday flew extensively over the airspace of  Yemen’s oil-rich Shabwah province, local sources said.

According to eyewitnesses, UAE warplanes flew low in the airspace of the Islah militants camps and the city of Ataq, as well as the Balhaf gas facility, in conjunction with enclosure of the facility by Islah militants since last week.

Witnesses confirmed that the UAE flight comes in a tense atmosphere betweenIslah militants and UAE –backed forces at the Balhaf facility.

In recent days, Islah has called for a tribal sit-in around the UAE-controlled Balhaf gas facility since the end of 2016, and the Abyan tribes announced their participation in the sit-in.

A Saudi military commission is leading mediation between the UAE forces command and the Islah authorities to evacuate the gas facility in the province.

E.M