Saudi Arabia has released more details on the coalition bombing of the Yemeni port of Mukalla, which has triggered tensions with the United Arab Emirates, its Arab ally and neighbor, and prompted the latter to say it will withdraw its forces from Yemen.

Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki al-Maliki showed images documenting the military operation carried out early on Tuesday morning.

He stated that upon entering the port of Mukalla, it became clear that the two ships were carrying more than 80 vehicles and containers of weapons and ammunition. He added that the UAE side transferred vehicles, containers, and Emirati personnel to the al-Rayyan base without informing Saudi Arabia.

The spokesman said the coalition adhered to the rules of engagement during the military operation.

The UAE announced the withdrawal of its forces from Yemen, declaring an end to what it called “counterterrorism” operations there, after Riyadh accused Abu Dhabi of supporting separatists in Yemen.

The announcement on Tuesday came after Yemen demanded the UAE pull its forces from the country within 24 hours, a call backed by Saudi Arabia.

Hours earlier, Saudi-led coalition forces attacked the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla, targeting a UAE-linked weapons shipment destined for the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen.

The STC launched an offensive against the Saudi-backed Yemeni troops this month, seeking an independent state in the south.

The advance broke years of deadlock, with the STC seizing control of broad swaths of southern Yemen, including provinces of Hadramout and Mahara, in defiance of warnings from Riyadh. Hadramout borders Saudi Arabia, and Mahara is close to the border.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday said it was disappointed about “pressure exerted by the UAE” on the STC to conduct military operations in the Hadramout and Mahara provinces. Riyadh said it considered the moves a threat to its national security.

“In this context, the Kingdom stresses that any threat to its national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralize any such threat,” it said.

Following Tuesday’s rapid-fire events, the UAE’s Ministry of Defence said it carried out a “comprehensive assessment” of its role in Yemen and decided to end its mission there.

“In light of recent developments and their potential implications for the safety and effectiveness of counterterrorism missions, the Ministry of Defence announces the termination of the remaining counterterrorism personnel in Yemen of its own volition, in a manner that ensures the safety of its personnel,” the ministry claimed in a statement.

The UAE announcement came amid efforts to tamp down tensions that have erupted in recent days.

Meanwhile, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held telephone conversations with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, discussing “regional developments”.

The Saudi-led coalition’s strike on Mukalla revealed widening tensions within a coalition built in 2015 to combat the Ansarullah movement, who controls most of northern Yemen.

Emirati troops first arrived in Yemen as part of the coalition that year, but the UAE pulled most of its forces out in 2019, leaving only a limited number in the south.

Following the Mukalla strike, which did not cause casualties, Rashad al-Alimi, the head of Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, dissolved a defence pact with the UAE and gave Emirati forces 24 hours to leave.

Saudi Arabia backed al-Alimi’s call for the UAE to withdraw its forces from Yemeni territory, and asked that it halt “any military or financial support to any party” in the country.

However, the STC remained defiant, insisting there was “no thinking about withdrawal” from its newly seized positions.

“It is unreasonable for the landowner to be asked to leave his own land. The situation requires staying and reinforcing,” STC spokesman Anwar al-Tamimi told the AFP news agency.

“We are in a defensive position, and any movement towards our forces will be responded to by our forces,” he added.