The battle for who controls an oil-rich territory in southern Yemen escalated on Friday after the Yemeni government said it was sending in the armed forces to force out a rival faction there.
The faction, a separatist group known as the Southern Transitional Council, has seized control of parts of Yemen from the government in recent weeks and wants to create its own independent state. An armed group allied with the separatists said in a statement that they were now at “war” with the internationally recognized Yemeni government in the territory, Hadhramaut.
Yemen’s government is backed by Saudi Arabia, while the Southern Transitional Council has received support from the United Arab Emirates. The recent events have driven a wedge between Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, two powerful Gulf allies, and spread further uncertainty in Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition has been involved in Friday’s military operations at the request of Yemen’s government, Mohammed Qizan, deputy information minister of the Yemeni government, said in a statement.
The Saudi government and the military coalition it leads in Yemen did not immediately respond to questions about their involvement in Friday’s military operations in Hadhramaut. The Emirates did not comment on the military operation.
The Southern Transitional Council said several of its fighters were “martyred” on Friday but did not provide a precise death toll.
For weeks, the Saudi government has urged the Southern Transitional Council to withdraw its forces, and it directly entered the fray on Tuesday when a Saudi-led airstrike targeted a shipment coming into Yemen from the United Arab Emirates.
The Saudi government said the shipment contained weapons for the separatists. The Emirati government denied that, but said after the strike that it was withdrawing its remaining forces from Yemen.
Friday’s decision to send in the armed forces marked the latest attempt by Yemen’s government to reassert its authority in the area.
“This operation is not a declaration of war,” Hadhramaut’s provincial governor, Salem al-Khanbashi, said in a televised address. He sought to portray the move as “peaceful,” saying the goal was to “neutralize” heavy weaponry in the province and prevent the situation in Yemen from sliding into “chaos.”
The status of the battles within Yemen remained unknown late on Friday, with both sides claiming victory. Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of the Southern Transitional Council, remained defiant, calling for a referendum toward an independent state, and the separatists claimed to have successfully repelled a large-scale attack.
Yemeni state television reported that Mr. al-Khanbashi said the government had retaken control of the largest military camp in the province. Neither claims could be immediately verified.
Residents of the area said they heard large explosions throughout Friday afternoon.
“We stayed inside our homes as stray bullets were hitting houses and farms,” Haj Mabrook said by telephone. “I don’t know exactly what is happening, but we can hear intense fighting.”
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had once joined forces in Yemen in an ill-fated attempt to oust Houthi rebels who had taken control of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014 with Iranian support. That partnership frayed as the two powers have backed competing factions with divergent visions of Yemen’s future.
Saeed Al-Batati contributed reporting from Al Mukalla, Yemen.
Ismaeel Naar is an international reporter for The Times, covering the Gulf states. He is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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