The Saudi-led coalition has carried out air strikes on UAE-backed separatists in Yemen, killing at least seven people, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) said on Friday.
Mohammed Abdulmalik, head of the STC in Wadi Hadramaut and Hadramaut Desert, said seven air strikes hit the Al-Khasah camp, killing seven and wounding more than 20.
Further strikes targeted other sites in the same region, he added.
The deaths are the first from coalition fire since the STC seized swathes of Hadramaut and Mahra provinces last month.
Hadramaut Governor Salem al-Khanbashi said the air strikes targeted forces that attacked the “Dera Al-Watan” units as they advanced to take over military positions, adding that ambushes of the units’ peaceful movement prompted the strikes.
He also urged residents of Hadramaut not to interfere with the forces or set up ambushes during their deployment.
Khanbashi announced the operation shortly after he was also appointed to lead the Saudi-backed National Shield forces in the resource-rich province bordering Saudi Arabia.
The STC earlier said its forces were placed on full alert after the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government announced an operation to reclaim military sites in the province.
Arabian Sea deployment
Meanwhile, the Royal Saudi Navy has deployed in the Arabian Sea to begin inspection and anti-smuggling operations, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led Arab coalition said.
Turki al-Maliki stated on X that the deployment aims to enhance maritime surveillance and execute operational tasks to ensure security and stability in the region.
Also on Friday, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al Jabir said the STC had blocked a delegation from Riyadh from landing at Aden airport, accusing the group of "intransigence".
Saudi Arabia "has faced consistent rejection and intransigence from (SCT leader) Aidaros Alzubidi, most recently the refusal to issue a permit for a plane transporting an official Saudi delegation", Al Jabir posted on X.
