Aden Airport Shutdown Deepens Yemen's Internal Strife

Aden airport was closed by the transportation minister of the Southern Transitional Council in Yemen. The closure defied Saudi-backed government orders to restrict flights to the UAE, escalating tensions within the country. This highlights ongoing conflicts between Yemen's southern separatists and the central government.

Aden airport has been ordered to close by the transportation minister of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group controlling southern Yemen, according to a Saudi source speaking to Reuters on Thursday.

The airport shutdown is in defiance of a directive from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, which sought to impose specific flight restrictions to and from the United Arab Emirates' cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. These restrictions were intended to manage rising tensions within the region.

The decision to halt air traffic underscores the ongoing conflict and divisions between Yemen's southern separatists and the central government, complicating efforts for national unity and stability.

(With inputs from agencies.)