Separatist forces in southern Yemen accused Saudi Arabia of conducting airstrikes against their positions on Friday, a claim not formally confirmed by Riyadh. The report comes after the kingdom issued a warning for the forces to withdraw from territories they recently seized.

The Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the United Arab Emirates, said the alleged strikes targeted its fighters in Hadramout governorate. It remains unclear whether the airstrikes caused casualties, though the developments heighten tensions in a country already fractured by more than a decade of conflict.

Amr Al Bidh, the STC’s special representative for foreign affairs, told The Associated Press that Council fighters were operating in eastern Hadramout on Friday after facing “multiple ambushes” from armed assailants. The attacks reportedly killed two fighters and injured 12 others, he said, with Saudi airstrikes following later.

The STC described its operations in the region as aimed at apprehending a wanted individual and disrupting smuggling networks. The incidents underscore the fragility of the Saudi-led coalition, which has battled Iran-backed Houthi rebels in northern Yemen for over a decade.