Chandigarh, JAN 2: Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit positions held by Yemen’s UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council in Hadramaut on Friday, deepening rifts within the anti-Houthi alliance as rival factions battle for control of key military sites.
Yemen’s Information Ministry said the strikes were launched after STC forces allegedly carried out ambushes against government troops moving to take over military positions in the province.
Hadramaut Governor Salem al-Khanbashi said armed groups attacked “Dera’ al-Watan” units during what he described as a non-combative deployment by government forces.
“The deployment was peaceful and aimed at restoring state authority,” al-Khanbashi said, adding that the attacks prompted coalition intervention.
He called on local residents to refrain from obstructing government troop movements, warning that interference could worsen the security situation.
The STC said the strikes resulted in casualties, though no figures were provided. A senior STC official said seven air raids hit a camp in the Al-Khasah area and claimed the group repelled a ground advance. Saudi Arabia has not issued an immediate statement on the strikes.
The escalation followed an earlier announcement by al-Khanbashi that Yemeni forces loyal to the internationally recognised government were preparing to reclaim military bases from STC control. He said the move did not amount to a declaration of war and would not target civilians.
Tensions intensified after Saudi Arabia accused STC chief Aidarus al-Zubaidi of preventing a Saudi aircraft carrying an official delegation from landing in Aden.
Saudi ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber said airport operations were suspended on orders from STC leadership. “Such unilateral decisions undermine coordination and threaten stability,” he said.
The STC later said Aden airport had been closed. The facility is among the few airports operating outside Houthi-held areas.
Al-Jaber also accused al-Zubaidi, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, of directing military deployments in Hadramaut and Al-Mahra without coordination, actions he said had caused security breakdowns and civilian harm. While reaffirming Saudi support for the “Southern cause,” he said solutions must come through political dialogue, not military confrontation.
The STC, formed in 2017, seeks autonomy or independence for southern Yemen and is backed by the UAE. Saudi Arabia supports Yemen’s unity and the internationally recognised government.
The latest clashes underline widening fractures within Yemen’s anti-Houthi camp as regional allies back competing forces in government-held areas.
