TEHRAN – UAE-backed separatists in southern Yemen accused Saudi Arabia on Friday of launching airstrikes against their forces in Hadramout province, allegations Riyadh has not confirmed amid rising tensions over recent territorial gains.

The reported strikes followed a sharp warning from the Saudi Foreign Ministry, which labeled the recent escalation of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) an “unjustified escalation.” Riyadh has urged the group to pull out of the two eastern provinces it captured earlier this month.

Reports indicate the strikes targeted Hadrami Elite Forces in areas including Wadi Nahb, after clashes with Saudi-aligned groups and a Saudi demand for withdrawal from newly seized areas in Hadramout and al-Mahra.

The separatist sweep across the two eastern governorates has placed key energy infrastructure under southern control, displacing Saudi-aligned units.

Yemen’s wider conflict traces to Ansarullah’s 2014 Sanaa advance against foreign interference.