File photo: Southern Yemen soldiers of Southern Transitional Council (STC) at a check point, in Aden, Yemen (Picture credit: AP)
Saudi-led coalition airstrikes killed at least seven people and wounded more than 20 others in eastern Yemen on Friday, after warplanes targeted camps held by UAE-backed southern separatists, according to officials from the group.The strikes hit a military camp in the Al-Khasah area of Hadramout province, Mohammed Abdulmalik, head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Wadi Hadramaut and the Hadramout Desert, said, as quoted by news agency AFP.
He said seven airstrikes struck the site and that separatist forces also repelled a ground advance.The escalation comes amid growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose interests in Yemen are increasingly at odds. Saudi warplanes have been targeting positions held by the STC, a separatist group backed by Abu Dhabi, as Riyadh attempts to reassert control over camps and territory in Hadramout, a strategic province bordering Saudi Arabia, according to news agency Associated Press.On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on Mukalla, a port city in southern Yemen. These strikes followed the arrival of two ships from the UAE port of Fujairah. Saudi Arabia claims these ships unloaded weapons and armoured vehicles meant for the STC. Riyadh then called the shipments an “imminent threat” to its national security and warned that the actions of the UAE were “extremely dangerous.” A separatist leader quoted by AP said that Saudi-backed National Shield Forces advanced towards STC camps, triggering the latest clashes. The STC refused to withdraw from the positions, which appeared to lead to the airstrikes. Despite the violence, Salem al-Khanbashi, the Hadramout governor appointed by Yemen’s internationally recognised government to lead Saudi-backed forces in the province, described the operation as “peaceful”.“This operation is not a declaration of war and does not seek escalation,” al-Khanbashi said in a speech aired on state media. He said the move was a “responsible pre-emptive measure” aimed at removing weapons and preventing chaos, adding that the camps could otherwise be used to undermine security in Hadramout.Saudi Arabia has demanded that STC forces withdraw from Hadramout and the neighbouring Mahra province as part of de-escalation efforts. The separatists, however, have so far refused to hand over their camps or weapons, AP reported.Political tensions have also spilled into diplomatic and aviation disputes. Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber accused STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi of blocking a Saudi mediation delegation from landing in Aden, despite prior coordination. In a post on X, al-Jaber said Riyadh had made “all efforts” over weeks to stop the escalation, but faced continued refusal from the STC leadership, as reported by AP.Meanwhile, Yemen’s transport ministry, aligned with the STC, said Saudi Arabia had imposed new requirements forcing flights to and from Aden airport to undergo inspection in Jeddah, a move it denounced. A ministry spokesperson cited by AP said that flights between Aden and the UAE had been suspended until the measures are reversed. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the decision.