Six killed as separatist protest turns violent in southern Yemen

Six supporters of the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) were killed, and at least 23 others were injured during clashes with local security forces in Yemen's southern Shabwa province on Wednesday.

The violence broke out in the provincial capital Ataq, after hundreds had gathered outside the headquarters of the local authority, attempting to storm the building and remove the Yemeni flag, The New Arab's Arabic edition reported.

Witnesses said security forces had opened fire as demonstrators tried to enter the compound, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

Authorities, however, accused "heavily armed infiltrators" of attacking security and military personnel with live ammunition, resulting in multiple casualties.

The unrest followed calls by the STC for mass demonstrations to reject an upcoming southern dialogue conference in Riyadh amid divisions within the separatist movement.

Despite warnings from Shabwa's security committee, large crowds assembled in Ataq on Wednesday morning, according to local sources.

Protesters broke through barricades set up across the city to block access to the rally site, witnesses said.

Security forces initially fired into the air to disperse the crowd, but tensions escalated when some participants reached the governorate building.

Several demonstrators reportedly entered the premises, raised the southern flag and removed the Yemeni flag, sparking armed confrontations in nearby streets.

In a statement, the Shabwa security committee described the incident as a "serious deviation from peaceful protest and a clear violation of law and order", saying armed individuals had attempted to storm the headquarters.

It reiterated that while peaceful assembly was respected, actions that undermine stability would not be tolerated, and pledged investigations into those responsible.

The STC has mobilised supporters across southern Yemen in recent weeks, calling for the restoration of an independent southern state and rejecting arrangements linked to the newly formed government.

On Tuesday, STC chief Aidarous al-Zubaidi urged followers to "keep up the struggle" and strengthen their support for the council, which comes after a Riyadh-based faction announced that the body had been dissolved.

STC fighters seized parts of Yemen last year from the government, leading Saudi Arabia to target the southern separatists and alleged UAE arms heading for the militias.

Both the STC and Yemeni government were nominally part of an alliance - supported by an Arab coalition - against the Iran-backed Houthis, backed by an Arab coalition.

Differences emerged over the past year with Abu Dhabi backing southern separatists while Saudi Arabia continued to back the internationally-recognised Yemeni government.