Brigadier Nasser Qais, who was dismissed from the leadership of the 1st Brigade, Marine Corps, handed over the weapons of the brigade to the militants of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, according to military sources in the Yemeni province of Socotra.
Qais had rejected his decision to dismiss him, announced his revolt, defected from government forces, and joined the Southern transitional council (STC).
The sources indicated that the clashes between the government forces and the Southern Transitional Council forces flared up on Wednesday morning.
The sources said that the STC's gunmen assaulted the headquarters of the first brigade while a committee was sent by the Saudi-led Arab coalition supporting the Yemeni (legitimate) government to accomplish the task of handing over and receiving the brigade to the new leadership.
