ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) on Thursday dismissed the country's Defense Minister Mohsen Muhammad Al-Daeri from his post, the state-run Saba News Agency reported.
The decree relieved Al-Daeri, who has led the government forces against the Houthi group in Yemen during the past years, of his duties and referred him to retirement, Saba reported.
No successor was immediately named.
The move is part of a series of recent measures by the PLC targeting ministers, government officials, and military commanders, amid heightened political and security tensions in southern Yemen.
Local observers have linked the shake-up to ongoing disputes involving the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC).
Tensions between the internationally-recognized Yemeni government and the STC have repeatedly flared despite earlier power-sharing agreements, complicating efforts to stabilize the country.
Separately, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Thursday that STC leader Aidarous Al-Zubaidi has secretly left Yemen for Somalia and then the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after failing to attend planned peace talks in Riyadh.
Formed in 2017 and allegedly backed by the UAE, the STC seeks self-determination and eventual independence for southern Yemen. Despite joining the Saudi-led coalition and integrating into the PLC in 2022, the group continues to push for southern sovereignty. ■
