Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief Rashad al-Alimi. Photo courtesy Saba News Agency
"I announce the formation of a Supreme Military Committee under the command of the coalition forces," President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi said in a televised address.
He said the committee would be responsible for "training, equipping, and directing all military forces and formations" in southern Yemen.
The announcement comes a few days after Yemeni forces supported by Saudi Arabia recaptured large swathes of territory from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatists, who seized two key provinces in December.
The oil-rich neighbours formed the backbone of the coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who overran the capital Sanaa in 2014 and still control much of the country.
But Riyadh and Abu Dhabi now find themselves backing competing factions within the Presidential Council, which is recognised by the international community and exercises its authority over much of the south.
The separatist STC faces an uncertain future amid reports that its leader has fled the country, while a delegation it sent to Riyadh announced the group’s dissolution on Friday -- a move disputed by STC members elsewhere.
Yemen's internationally recognised government is headquartered in Aden, even as the city remains a stronghold for the STC.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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