Dhaka, Dec. 28 -- Saudi Arabia warned Saturday it would back Yemen's government in any military confrontation with separatist forces and urged them to withdraw "peacefully" from recently-seized provinces.

The statements came a day after reported Saudi air strikes on separatist positions in Yemen's Hadramawt province - and after Washington called for restraint in the rapidly escalating conflict.

General Turki al-Malki, the spokesman for the Riyadh-led groups, said they would act "directly and at the appropriate moment . to protect civilian life", according to the Saudi news agency SPA.

Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman posted on X that troops from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) should "peacefully hand over" tw...