Saudi Arabia warns Yemen separatists to ‘peacefully’ withdraw from seized provinces

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it would stand by Yemen’s internationally recognised government in any military confrontation with separatist forces and called on them to withdraw “peacefully” from areas they have recently taken control of.

The warning followed reports of Saudi air strikes on separatist positions in Yemen’s eastern Hadramawt province and came as the United States urged restraint to prevent further escalation.

General Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said coalition forces would act “directly and at the appropriate moment” to protect civilian lives, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said fighters from the Southern Transitional Council (STC) should “peacefully hand over” two regional governorates to the Yemeni government.

The UAE-backed STC, which seeks to revive the former independent state of South Yemen, said it was undeterred despite strikes it blamed on Saudi Arabia. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The separatists have made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, including large parts of Hadramawt, Yemen’s largest province.

Analysts say the advances have embarrassed Saudi Arabia, the main supporter of Yemen’s recognised government. Farea al-Muslimi of Chatham House said the STC had crossed Saudi “red lines” and warned the situation could deteriorate rapidly.

A Yemeni military official said around 15,000 Saudi-backed Yemeni troops were massed near the Saudi border but had not yet received orders to confront separatist forces. The troops are positioned near areas seized by the STC in recent weeks.

In Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for restraint and continued diplomacy aimed at a lasting solution. Yemen’s government, meanwhile, urged the Saudi-led coalition to support its forces in Hadramawt and take all necessary measures to protect civilians after separatists took control of much of the province.

The latest developments have added strain to relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which back rival factions within Yemen’s fragile government alliance. Despite these differences, both countries oppose the Iran-backed Houthi movement, which drove the government out of the capital Sanaa in 2014 and controls most of northern Yemen.

The STC said Saudi strikes followed clashes with a tribal leader aligned with Riyadh, which it claimed killed two of its fighters. On Friday, the UAE publicly welcomed Saudi efforts to support security in Yemen, as both allies sought to project unity despite their competing interests on the ground.
(With AFP inputs)