Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council withdraws from key positions in Aden

Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) withdrew early Saturday from key positions it had seized in the city of Aden last week, the Arab Coalition said on Saturday.

The STC pulled out of the headquarters of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s government, the supreme court and the central bank as well as Aden’s main hospital, Muammar al-Iryani said on Twitter.

Sources told Al Arabiya that the seized positions were handed over to the Yemeni presidential brigades.

In a statement on Saturday, the Arab Coalition praised government and STC forces for adhering to their call for an immediate ceasefire, where they had urged all parties to withdraw from seized areas.

“(The coalition) praises the transitional council’s response to the call of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for a ceasefire… prioritizing the interests of the Yemeni people so as not to harm them or damage public and private property by beginning today to withdraw its troops and combat elements and return to their previous positions before recent events, and hand over Yemeni government headquarters under the supervision of the coalition,” the statement read.

It also commended the Yemeni government’s “response to the call for restraint during the crisis, its prioritization of the interests of the Yemeni people and preservation of the gains of the coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen to restore the state and its institutions.”

Fighting between pro-government forces and separatists in Yemen’s second city Aden killed around 40 people and injured 260 others including civilians, the UN said Sunday.

Yemen’s government had ruled out talks with the STC until it withdraws from positions it seized.