Dubai, December 28: Yemen’s main southern separatist group rejected on Friday a Saudi call for its forces to withdraw from the eastern provinces of Hadramout and Mahra, saying it would continue operations there to counter security threats.
Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it remained hopeful the Southern Transitional Council (STC) would de-escalate and pull back its fighters after the group claimed broad control of southern Yemen and pushed the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government from its headquarters in the southern port city of Aden.
In a statement posted on X, the STC said its military operations in Hadramout and Mahra were aimed at combating security threats, including cutting supply lines to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which controls northern Yemen.
Fighting escalated in Hadramout on Thursday, with the STC saying two members of its Hadhrami Elite Forces were killed. Armed groups ambushed STC forces in the Ghail bin Yamin area in the east of the province, but the separatists later regained control, a source from the group told Reuters.
The source added that Saudi airstrikes targeted STC positions in the area early on Friday. Saudi Arabia did not confirm carrying out the strikes.
The STC criticised what it described as “surprising” airstrikes, saying they would not “serve any path to an understanding” or deter southern Yemenis from continuing their struggle to restore their rights.
Saudi Arabia said a joint Saudi-Emirati military delegation had been sent to Aden on Dec. 12 to make arrangements for the STC’s return to its previous positions outside Hadramout and Mahra, adding that efforts were still under way.
The STC said it was open to coordination or arrangements that guarantee the security and unity of southern Yemen and prevent a recurrence of security threats, while fulfilling the aspirations of people in the south and shared interests with Saudi Arabia.
The United Arab Emirates, which supports the STC, welcomed Saudi efforts to promote security and stability in Yemen, reaffirming its commitment to backing stability in the war-torn country, its foreign ministry said.
Yemen has been engulfed in civil war since 2014, when the Houthis seized control of the capital Sanaa and forced the Saudi-backed government to flee south. The STC, initially part of the Saudi-led coalition that intervened against the Houthis in 2015, later turned on the government and has sought self-rule in southern Yemen.
