Saudi Airstrikes Strike STC Positions Near Mukalla Amid Rising Riyadh–UAE Tensions

Southern separatists in Yemen reported that Saudi warplanes carried out fresh airstrikes on Saturday against a military camp west of the port city of Mukalla and other locations across Hadramout as Saudi-backed forces sought to retake the city. There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.

According to the Southern Transitional Council’s (STC) AIC satellite news channel, the raids struck the Barshid Brigade camp — one of the sites where separatist forces are deployed. An STC official told The Associated Press that more than 100 Saudi airstrikes hit multiple locations across Hadramout in the previous 24 hours, resulting in deaths and injuries; the official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

Context And Recent Developments

Yemen has been engulfed in civil war for more than a decade. Iran-backed Houthi rebels control much of the north, while a Saudi-led coalition supports the internationally recognized government in the south. At the same time, the United Arab Emirates — a member of the coalition — has backed southern separatists who advocate reestablishing an independent South Yemen.

The strikes followed weeks of escalating tensions, including earlier Saudi attacks on STC positions and an alleged strike on a shipment of Emirati weapons said to be destined for the separatists. The latest raids came a day after the STC announced a constitution for an independent southern state.

Ground Clashes, Political Fallout

Last month the STC advanced into Hadramout and Mahra and seized an oil-rich area, displacing allies of the Saudi-supported National Shield forces — part of the anti-Houthi coalition. Clashes between National Shield forces and southern fighters in Hadramout have killed at least eight people, according to paramedic Ahmed al-Ketheri.

Following pressure from Saudi Arabia and an ultimatum from anti-Houthi forces calling for withdrawal, the UAE said early Saturday that it had pulled out its forces from Yemen. The withdrawal and Saudi strikes have further strained ties between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, two regional partners that nonetheless publicly say they share the coalition’s goal of restoring Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

"For the Saudis that was a red line," said Hilal Khashan, a political science professor at the American University of Beirut, describing Riyadh's reaction after the STC began seizing border areas. "They felt caught between the Houthis in the north and the UAE in the south, and decided to act to curb perceived UAE regional expansionism."

Col. Ahmed Baqatyan, a commander in the Hadramout Tribes Confederacy, said the Barshid Brigade camp sits on a route toward Aden and that clearing it of STC forces was intended to prevent a regrouping and possible return to Mukalla. Residents Ahmed al-Faradi and Salem Maadan told the AP the city was now controlled by the Hadramout Tribes Confederacy and National Shield forces.

Yemen’s Transportation Ministry, aligned with the STC, condemned late-Friday strikes it said targeted Seiyun international airport, warning the attacks could damage airport infrastructure and hinder flight operations.

Separately, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry announced plans to host a conference in Riyadh to bring together southern factions and "discuss just solutions to the southern cause," responding to a request for dialogue from Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council. No dates or further details were released.

Reporting credits: Khaled reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.