Saudi warplanes struck positions held by southern Yemeni separatists on Saturday as Saudi-backed forces moved to regain control of the port city of Mukalla, sharply escalating a confrontation that has exposed widening fractures within the anti-Houthi coalition.
According to the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), Saudi aircraft targeted a military installation west of Mukalla in Hadramut governorate, as well as additional locations where its forces were deployed. The group said the Barshid Brigade camp was hit during the strikes. Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The airstrikes came as Saudi-supported units advanced toward Mukalla, the capital of Hadramut, which the STC seized last month along with neighboring Mahra governorate. The takeover displaced elements aligned with the National Shield forces, a Saudi-backed faction operating within the broader coalition opposed to the Houthis.
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The escalation followed the STC’s announcement of a draft constitution laying out the framework for an independent state in southern Yemen, a step viewed by Saudi officials and other coalition partners as a direct challenge to Yemen’s territorial unity.
Saturday’s attacks marked the latest instance of direct Saudi military action against the STC. In recent weeks, Riyadh has carried out air operations against separatist positions and hit what was described as a shipment of Emirati weapons intended for the group, signaling a sharp deterioration in relations between the two Gulf allies.
Regional dynamics shifted further after the United Arab Emirates said early Saturday that it had withdrawn all of its forces from Yemen, citing mounting pressure from Saudi Arabia and an ultimatum issued by anti-Houthi factions demanding its departure. The UAE has long been seen as the STC’s most important external backer.
The developments have deepened strains between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, neighbors whose partnership has been tested by competition over trade routes, ports, and influence in the Red Sea corridor. While both countries have formally supported efforts to restore Yemen’s internationally recognized government, their diverging interests and alliances on the ground have increasingly come into conflict, with Mukalla now emerging as the latest flashpoint.