A Saudi-led coalition in Yemen stated on Saturday that it would intervene to defend the internationally recognized government if a separatist group did not peacefully withdraw from territory seized in recent weeks. Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a senior Saudi military official and spokesman for the coalition, which provides support to the official Yemeni government, called for de-escalation and the return of territory. He told Saudi state media that any military actions that contradicted these efforts would be dealt with directly and immediately.

The separatist group, known as the Southern Transitional Council (STC), used military force this month to seize parts of the oil-rich Hadramaut province in southern Yemen and al-Mahra province in the east. Amr al-Bidh, a senior official for the separatists, said Friday that two Saudi airstrikes had targeted forces affiliated with the group in Hadramaut. There were no reported casualties, and Saudi Arabia did not publicly acknowledge any strikes or respond to the claim.

The conflict highlights the complex multi-layered war in Yemen, which has been ongoing since 2014. The war initially began as a domestic conflict between the Houthi movement, a Zaidi Shia Muslim group, and the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. The conflict escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi's government after the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa.

The STC, founded in 2017 with financial and military support from the United Arab Emirates, a Saudi ally, seeks self-determination for southern Yemen. The region was an independent state, South Yemen, until it unified with the north in 1990. The STC's actions have created a parallel conflict within the broader Yemeni civil war, pitting them against the internationally recognized government, which is also backed by the Saudi-led coalition.

Yemen's civil war has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing starvation and disease. International efforts to broker a lasting peace have repeatedly failed. The United Nations and other international organizations have consistently called for a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement to the conflict. The latest developments threaten to further destabilize the region and undermine efforts to find a resolution to the ongoing crisis.