Fierce fighting continued in southern Yemen between Emirati-backed separatists and the country’s internationally recognized government Thursday, security officials said, a blow to the Saudi-led coalition’s declared ceasefire between the factions.
Battles in the flashpoint Abyan province between Saudi-backed government forces and Emirati-funded southern secessionists killed at least 54 fighters on both sides over the last 24 hours, said Yemeni security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to brief the media.
The Saudi-led coalition, which is mired in a years-long conflict with Iranian-supported rebel Houthis, said earlier this week that the separatist and government forces had reached a truce. The agreement aims to close the rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, powerful regional allies in the U.S.-backed Arab coalition against the Houthis.