Yemeni govt, STC troops pull back from a key southern city‏

Yemeni Southern Transitional Council STC and forces loyal to the UN recognized government are pulling back from a key southern city, military officials said Thursday.

The pullout, envisaged under a Saudi-brokered peace deal, began this week, the Yemeni officials told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The fighting prompted Saudi Arabia to pressure both sides to the negotiating table in Riyadh, where they signed a peace agreement in November. Among other provisions, the deal stipulates that both sides pull out from Zinjibar, the capital of southern Abyan province.

The withdrawal that’s underway is the first such pullout under the Saudi-brokered deal.

Under the peace deal, the STC are also expected to turn in their weapons and eventually become incorporated in the government-controlled police force.