80 Killed in Yemen as Separatists Battle Saudi-Allied Forces

AFP/APP

Aden: At least 80 troops from Yemen’s secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) have been killed in fighting and air strikes since Friday, a military official from the group told AFP on Sunday.

The official said that at least 152 STC fighters were wounded and 130 taken captive, providing a preliminary tally of casualties since the start of the operation.

Saudi-backed forces launched operations on Friday to reclaim territories seized by the UAE-backed STC, highlighting a deepening rift between the Gulf allies Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over influence in Yemen.

“Most casualties occurred in strikes by the Saudi-led coalition targeting military camps held by separatists, including Al-Khasha and Barshid camps in Hadramawt province,” the official said.

A separate official from the Saudi-aligned forces told AFP that at least 14 of their fighters were killed and more than 30 wounded during the offensive.

Yemen’s presidency announced on Saturday that Hadramawt, a resource-rich province, had been retaken following the apparent retreat of STC forces. Authorities in neighbouring Mahra province reportedly switched allegiance back to the Riyadh-aligned government without resistance.

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On Sunday, Saudi-backed troops were consolidating positions in Mukalla, the provincial capital of Hadramawt, two government military officials said.

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have long backed rival factions within Yemen’s divided government. The STC’s December offensive, which saw it seize Hadramawt and Mahra, angered Saudi Arabia and exposed fissures in ties between the two oil-rich allies.

The Saudi-led coalition has carried out repeated warnings and air strikes over the past week, including a strike on an alleged Emirati arms shipment to the separatists.

On Friday, an air strike on Al-Khasha camp left 20 dead, according to the STC, while on Saturday, Saudi warplanes targeted the Barshid camp west of Mukalla.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government is a patchwork of groups, including the STC, united primarily by opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis.

The Houthis captured the capital Sanaa in 2014 and control most of northern Yemen. They have been at war with the government and the Saudi-led coalition since 2015, a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis.