Arab Coalition: Al-Zubaidi Fled Aden to Somalia, Then Abu Dhabi, on a Flight with Hidden Identification
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced details regarding the escape of Aidarous al-Zubaidi and others from the Port of Aden toward the Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia. According to an official statement issued by the Coalition spokesperson, Major General Turki al-Maliki, the escape was carried out via a maritime vessel (IMO-8101393) that deactivated its Automatic Identification System (AIS) during the trip.
The statement reported that the vessel departed after midnight on January 7 and arrived at the Port of Berbera at 12:00 PM. Upon arrival, al-Zubaidi contacted a Yemeni officer identified as “Abu Saeed,” who was later revealed to be Major General Awadh Saeed Musleh al-Ahbabi, the Commander of UAE Joint Operations, to inform him of their arrival.
The statement added that an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft (Flight No. MZB-9102) was waiting for them. The group was boarded under the supervision of Emirati officers. The plane landed at Mogadishu Airport at 15:15 and took off toward the Arabian Gulf after a one-hour layover. The aircraft’s identification system was turned off over the Gulf of Oman before being reactivated shortly before landing at the military airport in Abu Dhabi at 20:47 KSA time.
Al-Maliki explained that these Ilyushin aircraft are commonly used in conflict zones and on routes involving Libya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. He noted that the maritime vessel flew the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis—the same flag flown by the ship “Greenland,” which previously transported combat vehicles and weapons from Fujairah to the Port of Mukalla in December 2025, according to previous Coalition data.
The spokesperson confirmed that Coalition forces are monitoring the fate of several figures who were the last to meet with Aidarous al-Zubaidi before his flight. These individuals include Ahmed Hamed Lamlas, the former Governor of Aden, and Mohsen al-Wali, Commander of the Security Belt Forces, both of whom remain out of contact.
