Saudi arabia strikes UAE backed separatists in yemen

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

UAE-backed separatists accused Saudi Arabia, the main backer of Yemen's internationally-recognised government, of striking their positions in Hadhramaut on Friday, a day after the kingdom urged them to return recently-seized territory.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the air strikes, which raised fears of escalation after years of relative quiet, in a conflict that has for more than a decade drawn in regional players such as Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The separatist advances have added pressure on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which support rival groups within Yemen's internationally-recognised government.

The government is a patchwork of groups that includes the separatists, and is held together by shared opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis.

"The Saudi Air Force bombed positions of the Hadhrami Elite Forces in Wadi Nahb in Hadhramaut," the separatist-affiliated Aden Independent Channel said in a social media post, referring to a group within the separatist faction.

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) told AFP that Saudi Arabia had conducted two strikes in the area.

The Saudi-led coalition, which backs the government, did not immediately respond to AFP's request to confirm the strikes.

The air strikes followed clashes in the area on Thursday between the separatists and a tribal leader close to Saudi Arabia.

A military official in Hadramawt told AFP that the tribal leader had left the area after the fighting.