Saudi warplanes strike UAE-backed separatists in southern Yemen
NBC News••world
Key Points:
- Saudi warplanes reportedly struck forces in southern Yemen backed by the UAE amid a Saudi-led operation to take control of Southern Transitional Council (STC) camps in Hadramout governorate, with no immediate casualty reports.
- The STC, a separatist group seeking independence for South Yemen, refused to withdraw from seized areas, leading to clashes with Saudi-backed National Shield Forces; the STC claims fatalities from airstrikes, though these remain unverified.
- Tensions have escalated after the STC moved into Hadramout and Mahra governorates, displacing Saudi-backed forces and prompting Saudi demands for STC withdrawal, which the separatists have rejected.
- Saudi Arabia accused STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi of blocking
