An oil industry source in the area said the separatists had left on Monday afternoon, taking tanks and Scud missiles with them. It was not clear why, since the move would take their missiles out of range of any significant targets. A number of southern MiGs and civilian aircraft belonging to the southern airline, Alyemda, were reported to have arrived at the al-Ghayda airfield. Later yesterday, a government spokesman in Sana'a announced the capture of Riyan airport, six miles outside Mukalla, adding that 'a number of southern warplanes were seized while on the ground'. There was no independent confirmation, though Riyan's capture would be of great military importance.
Air power is the only area in which southern forces have shown superiority.
Yesterday the foreign ministers of Egypt, Syria and Gulf Arab states meeting in Kuwait were expected to discuss the situation in Yemen. It had been suggested earlier that some of them would be pressing for recognition of the breakaway state, but in the last few days that has become ever more unlikely.