Saudi Arabia has conducted a series of airstrikes against positions held by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in southeastern Yemen, resulting in significant casualties and escalating tensions within the fragile coalition. According to STC officials, seven aerial assaults targeted a camp in al-Khasah, killing at least seven individuals and wounding more than twenty others.
The military action follows the launch of what Saudi-backed authorities termed a “peaceful operation” to reclaim territory seized by the separatist group during its rapid offensive in December. Governor Salem al-Khanbashi of Hadhramout province, granted full military and administrative authority by Yemen’s internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), described the initiative as a “precautionary measure to protect security and prevent chaos” rather than a declaration of war.
However, STC leadership has vehemently condemned Saudi actions as deceptive and contradictory. Amr al-Bidh, the STC’s special representative for foreign affairs, accused Riyadh of deliberately misleading the international community by announcing peaceful intentions while simultaneously preparing military strikes. “Their actions indisputably prove otherwise,” al-Bidh stated regarding Saudi claims of seeking de-escalation.
The conflict emerges amid deepening fractures within the PLC, an eight-member governing body originally established with both Saudi and Emirati support. Half of the council’s members reportedly support the southern separatists, creating significant internal divisions.
In a related diplomatic development, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen publicly accused STC chairman Aidarus al-Zubaidi of refusing landing permission to a Saudi delegation seeking de-escalation talks at Aden’s airport. Ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber characterized Zubaidi’s unilateral decisions as “dangerous,” particularly his leadership of military operations in Hadhramout and al-Mahra provinces.
The tensions reflect broader regional complexities, including recently strained relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Earlier this week, Saudi forces targeted an Emirati shipment in southern Yemen and explicitly criticized UAE support for the southern separatists—a notable escalation in rhetoric. Abu Dhabi rejected these accusations as containing “fundamental inaccuracies” while subsequently announcing the withdrawal of its limited forces from Yemen following a request from PLC leadership.