Yemen’s main separatist group appeared split on Friday as some members announced ​it was disbanding, reflecting a feud between Gulf powers Saudi ‌Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that was blown into the open by a separatist advance ‌last month. Saudi-backed fighters have largely retaken areas in southern and eastern Yemen seized by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) in December, and an STC delegation has travelled to the Saudi capital Riyadh for talks. However, STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi fled ⁠Yemen on Wednesday instead ‌of joining the talks, with the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen saying the UAE had helped spirit him away on a ‍flight that was tracked to a military airport in Abu Dhabi. One of the members who travelled to Riyadh for the talks said in a statement broadcast on Saudi ​state media on Friday that the group had decided to disband.

Full report : Yemen’s separatists appear to split, reflecting Saudi-UAE rift.