Yemeni southern separatists launch military campaign in Abyan

FILE PHOTO: Houthi supporters rally to mark the Ashura day in Sanaa, Yemen August 8, 2022. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah/File Photo

ADEN (Reuters) - Yemen's main southern separatist group said late on Monday it had launched a military operation in Abyan "to cleanse it of terrorist organisations" in a move that would strengthen the UAE-backed faction's control in the south.

The seven-year war pitting a fractious coalition led by Saudi Arabia against the Iran-aligned Houthi group has split Yemen, with the Houthis largely holding the north and the internationally recognised government based in the south.