Sana’a, Jan 4, (dpa/GNA) – Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, have made swift advances against the Emirati-supported separatists in war-torn Yemen, local sources said on Sunday.
On Friday, the Saudi-backed Homeland Shield Forces initiated a military operation against fighters from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in eastern Yemen where the secessionists seized vast chunks of territory in early December.
The military escalation came amid rare tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), exposing a rift in a Saudi-led alliance fighting Yemen’s Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels.
Over the last two days, the Homeland Shield Forces have recaptured large parts in the oil-rich eastern province of Hadramaut bordering Saudi Arabia, Yemeni government sources said.
These areas include al-Mukalla, the capital city of Hadramaut and Seiyun, a key city in the same sprawling province, they told dpa.
The Homeland Shield Forces have also retaken control of most key installations in the neighbouring al-Mahra province following the withdrawal of STC fighters, they added.
Only some pockets of the STC forces remain in both provinces, which together make up around half of Yemen’s territory according to the sources.
There was no immediate comment from the STC.
On Friday, the STC, a faction pushing for the secession of southern Yemen from the north, announced a plan for a referendum for independence after a two-year transitional period.
However, in a sign of de-escalation, the STC on Saturday welcomed a Saudi invitation to sponsor a conference in Riyadh to address Yemen’s southern issue.
The council called the Saudi invitation a “genuine opportunity for serious dialogue that safeguards the future of the South and guarantees the fulfilment of the aspirations of the people of the South.”
There is no clear date yet for the conference.
GNA