Yemen's complex civil war witnessed a dangerous escalation on Friday as air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition killed seven separatist fighters. The attack targeted forces aligned with the UAE-backed Southern Transition Council (STC), marking the first combat deaths from coalition fire since the STC's significant territorial gains last month.
First Fatalities Since Separatist Advance
The deadly raids signify a sharp intensification in the conflict within southern Yemen. According to a senior STC official, Mohammed Abdulmalik, the head of the STC in Wadi Hadramaut and Hadramaut Desert, the strikes hit the Al-Khasah camp. Seven fighters were killed and over 20 were wounded in the bombardment. Further strikes were reported at other locations in the region, though details on casualties from those attacks remain unclear.
These fatalities are the first resulting from coalition fire directed at the STC since the secessionist group seized control of large areas in Hadramawt and Mahra provinces in a sweeping advance last month. The STC's expansion has directly challenged the authority of the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government, setting the stage for a major confrontation.
A War of Words and Blocked Diplomacy
The military action was accompanied by a fierce war of words and diplomatic incidents. An STC spokesman characterized the conflict with the Saudi-backed forces as a "decisive and existential" war. The air raids occurred shortly after forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government announced a campaign to take control of military sites in Hadramawt, which they described as a "peaceful" initiative.
In a separate but related incident also on Friday, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed AlJabir, accused the STC of "intransigence." He stated that the separatist group had blocked a Saudi delegation from landing at Aden airport, a major hub now under STC influence. This move further strained the already tense relations between the nominal allies in the war against the Houthi rebels.
Broader Regional Tensions Surface
The friction extends beyond the battlefield into aviation and security policies. A day before the air strikes, on Thursday, Yemen's transport ministry—which is controlled by the STC—publicly denounced a new Saudi directive. The kingdom had demanded that all flights to and from the United Arab Emirates must stop in Saudi Arabia for security checks. The STC saw this as a punitive measure and an infringement on sovereignty, highlighting the deepening rift between the UAE-backed separatists and the Saudi-backed central government.
This series of events paints a picture of a fragmented anti-Houthi alliance where old partnerships are crumbling. The Saudi-led coalition, initially formed to restore Yemen's government, now finds itself navigating a multi-front conflict where its allies are fighting each other for control of the south. The killing of seven STC fighters by coalition jets is a stark indicator that this internal strife has entered a new, more violent phase, threatening to further destabilize the war-torn nation and the region's security architecture.
