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3. Yemen Separatists Report Saudi Air Strikes in Hadramawt

Saudi Arabia, the main backer of Yemen's internationally-recognised government, conducted air strikes on separatist positions in Hadramawt on Friday, according to local media and the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the strikes, which came a day after Saudi Arabia urged the separatists to withdraw from Hadramawt and Mahra provinces, seized earlier this month.

The separatist advances have added pressure on regional powers Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which support rival groups within Yemen's internationally-recognised government.

The government is a patchwork of groups that includes the separatists, and is held together by shared opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis.

"The Saudi Air Force bombed positions of the Hadrami Elite Forces in Wadi Nahb in Hadramawt," the separatist-affiliated Aden Independent Channel said in a social media post, referring to a group within the separatist faction.

Saudi officials did not immediately confirm the operation.

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) told AFP Saudi Arabia had conducted two strikes in the area.

This month, the UAE-backed STC, which seeks to revive the formerly-independent state of South Yemen expelled other government forces and their allies from large parts of the country, sparking fears of further instability.

AFP