SANAA/CAIRO: Saudi Arabia on Saturday called on Yemen's southern fighters to withdraw from territory they recently seized, and threatened action against them.
Earlier this month, forces aligned to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) took over large chunks from the government in the provinces of Hadramaut and al Mahra, which together make up around half of Yemen's territory.
The STC and the government have been allies for years in the fight against Ansar Allah.
However, the STC has repeatedly defied its partners to control larger areas in Yemen and rally people to demand renewed secession of the southern region of the country.
On Saturday, the Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman called on the STC to "give a precedence to the voice of reason, wisdom and unity" by handing over sites their forces recently seized in the eastern provinces of Hadramaut and al Mahra.
"The regrettable events since the start of December 2025 in both provinces have led to a division in the ranks against the enemy," the Saudi official said in a post on the social media platform X.
Saudi Arabia launched a military intervention in Yemen in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government against the Ansar Allah.
A Saudi-led alliance on Saturday requested the withdrawal of the STC forces and threatened it would act against military movements undermining de-escalation efforts in Yemen.
On Friday, media linked to the STC accused Saudi Arabia of launching air strikes against forces loyal to the council in oil-rich Hadramaut. Riyadh did not comment.
In reaction, the STC, said it would not be deterred by the strikes, but said it remains committed to the anti-Ansar Allah fighting.
Yemen has been embroiled in a power struggle since 2014 between government forces, supported by the alliance, and the Ansar Allah, who control large swathes of territory in the north, including the capital Sanaa. — dpa
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