7 dead as Saudi jets strike UAE-backed separatists in ‘peaceful’ Yemen operation
Separatists report 7 air strikes minutes after pro-Saudi forces announced a ‘peaceful’ bid to retake camps, accusing Riyadh of deception
Seven separatist fighters died in air strikes on Friday as the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen hit back against a sweeping advance by the UAE-backed Southern Transition Council (STC) that threatens to spiral into a major confrontation.
The deaths are the first from coalition fire since the secessionist STC seized swathes of Hadramawt and Mahra provinces last month.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have for years supported rival factions in Yemen’s government-run territories, but the STC’s offensive has angered Riyadh and left the oil-rich Gulf powers at loggerheads.
Mohammed Abdulmalik, head of the STC in Wadi Hadhramaut and Hadhramaut Desert, said seven air strikes hit the Al-Khasah camp, killing seven and wounding more than 20.
Further strikes targeted other sites in the same region, he added.
The air raids struck shortly after pro-Saudi forces launched a campaign to “peacefully” take control of military sites in Hadhramaut.