Seven Killed as Saudi Airstrikes Hit UAE-Backed Separatists in Southern Yemen

ADEN: Saudi warplanes have carried out airstrikes against UAE-backed southern separatist forces in Yemen, killing at least seven fighters and wounding more than 20 others, in a sharp escalation of tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi’s local allies.

Mohammed Abdulmalik, head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Wadi Hadhramaut and the Hadhramaut Desert, said seven air raids struck the al-Khasah military camp on Friday. He added that additional strikes targeted other locations in the same region.

The incident marks the first reported fatalities caused by the Saudi-led coalition against the STC, despite both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates being key partners in the coalition that launched a military intervention in Yemen in 2015 to reinstate the government of former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and fight the Ansarullah movement.

The airstrikes followed a rapid advance by STC forces last month, during which separatists seized large areas of the oil-rich provinces of Hadhramaut and Mahra. The offensive displaced Saudi-backed National Shield Forces and reportedly angered Riyadh, which views the move as a challenge to its influence in the strategically important region.

The attacks came shortly after pro-Saudi forces announced a campaign to “peacefully” assume control of military sites in Hadhramaut, which borders Saudi Arabia. Hadhramaut governor Salem al-Khanbashi, who also commands Saudi-backed forces in the province, said the operation was not meant to escalate tensions or target any political or social group.

Saudi sources later confirmed that the strikes were conducted by the Saudi-led coalition. A source close to the Saudi military warned that the air campaign would continue unless STC forces withdrew from the two governorates.

Southern separatists have long sought the re-establishment of an independent South Yemen, which existed as a separate state from 1967 until its unification with North Yemen in 1990.

Amr al-Bidh, the STC’s foreign affairs representative, accused Saudi Arabia of acting in bad faith. In a social media post, he said Riyadh had misled the international community by announcing a “peaceful operation” before launching airstrikes minutes later.

Tensions also flared on the diplomatic front. Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jabir said the STC had blocked a Saudi delegation from landing in Aden, despite prior coordination aimed at reaching a solution that serves “the public interest.” He accused the group of intransigence.

Separately, the STC-controlled transport ministry criticized Saudi demands that flights to and from Aden International Airport stop in Jeddah for inspection. The Associated Press reported that a ministry spokesperson said flights between Aden and the UAE were suspended until Saudi Arabia reverses the measures.

The latest developments underscore the growing rift among nominal allies in Yemen’s complex and protracted conflict.