ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Tuesday denied reports claiming that a unanimous decision had been reached within the country's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) to mandate the withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) forces from Yemen.

According to a statement released by the state-run Saba news agency, the decision comes amid escalating tensions between the PLC and the UAE-backed STC, following the STC's seizure of large areas in Yemen's Hadramout and Al-Mahrah provinces earlier this month.

The STC-affiliated satellite channel AIC, citing a source in the PLC, said "there had been no unanimous resolution authorizing the UAE's withdrawal from the country." The source stressed that decisions taken by the eight-member presidential council, particularly those related to national sovereignty, are required to be adopted unanimously.

A government official told Xinhua on Monday that the PLC itself remains divided over the latest developments. According to local government sources, PLC Chairman Rashad al-Alimi and three other council members currently based in Riyadh support calls for military intervention and fully back the actions of the Saudi-led coalition.

The Saudi-led coalition has conducted a "limited" military operation targeting weapons and combat vehicles unloaded at the port of Mukalla in Yemen's southeastern Hadramout Province in the past hours, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

In contrast, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, vice president within the PLC and chairperson of the STC, along with three other PLC members based in Yemen, favor mediation efforts and have rejected direct Saudi military intervention, the sources said.

In a statement posted on social media X, Hani bin Buraik, a senior STC leader, strongly condemned the airstrikes, accusing Saudi Arabia of carrying out an unjustified attack on Hadramout.

"Saudi Arabia is now officially attacking our country, Hadramout, and its civilian port," bin Buraik said, describing the strikes as lacking any legitimate military rationale.

The Aden-based leadership of the STC has not issued an official statement on the reported Saudi airstrikes. However, media outlets and websites close to the council said the incident was widely viewed within the STC as "a unilateral act of aggression" by Saudi Arabia.

Some of those outlets described the strikes as a turning point in relations, asserting that the coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government had effectively "ceased to exist" following the attack on Mukalla.

Earlier on Tuesday, Yemen's state-run Saba news agency reported that al-Alimi announced the cancellation of a joint defense agreement with the UAE, ordering all Emirati military forces to withdraw from the country within 24 hours.

According to the decision, the joint defense pact previously concluded between Yemen and the UAE was formally annulled.

The decision also instructs Yemen's National Shield Forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, to deploy immediately and assume control of all military camps in Hadramout and Al-Mahrah.

No further details were provided regarding the practical arrangements for the withdrawal or the future framework of relations between Yemen and the UAE.

Al-Alimi also declared a 90-day nationwide state of emergency on Tuesday, citing the need to safeguard national security and maintain public order.

The decision includes a 72-hour air, sea and land embargo on all ports and border crossings across the country, effective immediately.

Tensions in Yemen escalated on Dec. 3, when STC forces took control of Hadramout following clashes with pro-government units. The STC also criticized the PLC for failing to launch what it described as a serious campaign against the Houthi group.

The STC later expanded its presence into the eastern province of Al-Mahrah without reported resistance and has since recruited local forces in both provinces, despite repeated calls by the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia for de-escalation.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when Houthi forces captured Sanaa and large swathes of the north, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015.

Formed in 2017, 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, leading to recurring disputes over power-sharing and control of resources.

The STC has accused previous Yemeni governments of politically and economically marginalizing the south, a claim Yemeni authorities reject, continuously stressing the importance of territorial unity. ■