Separatists control majority of Yemen's Aden

Separatist forces backed by the UAE wrested control of a large portion of Aden province from government forces on Thursday, an official said, Anadolu Agency reports.

The forces loyal to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) made their gains with support of Emirati air forces which struck positions of legitimate government forces in eastern Aden, a government source told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.

Dozens were killed and injured in the airstrikes, the same source asserted.

Earlier today, backed by Emirate air forces, STC loyalists recaptured Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan, from government forces who took control of the city a day earlier.

Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen and supporting the country’s pro-Saudi government.

Yemen: Government forces regain control of Abyan province