Separatists in war-torn Yemen said that Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on Friday against their forces in the country's eastern region.
Aden Independent TV, a broadcaster affiliated with the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), reported that Saudi jets bombed positions early on Friday held by STC-linked forces in the oil-rich Hadramaut province in eastern Yemen.
The broadcaster aired footage of what it described as the aftermath of the strikes, but did not provide details on casualties or the extent of the damage.
Local sources told dpa that at least 2 STC-linked fighters were killed and 12 were wounded in the fighting with tribal groups.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia launched a military intervention in Yemen in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Riyadh has long been pursuing a way to end the conflict, with its last bombings occurring years ago. Attacking the separatists, who are technically partners against the Houthis, would represent a startling escalation.
The STC seperatists in the south are backed by the United Arab Emirates.
They have recently taken over large areas in the provinces of Hadramaut and al-Mahra, which together make up around half of Yemen's territory.
The fact that they are turning against the government forces is also putting pressure on Saudi Arabia, which wants to maintain and strengthen the government. The move has prompted regional and international calls for restraint.
Saudi Arabia has described the STC's military moves in eastern Yemen as "unilateral" and an "unjustified escalation."
Riyadh said it hoped that the separatists would withdraw their troops from the two provinces "immediately and in an organized manner."
Otherwise, there would be "undesirable consequences." It is working with the United Arab Emirates to bring the situation under control.
Despite the long-standing alliance against the Houthis, the separatists have repeatedly resisted the government's take over of larger areas in the south.
They are striving for renewed secession from the north. Yemen was already divided between 1967 and until reunification in 1990.
The civil war in Yemen has been played out for a decade, primarily between the Houthi militia, which overran the north including the capital Sana'a, and the government and its allies in Riyadh.
All efforts to find a political solution, for example through mediation in Oman and United Nations initiatives, have failed.
