Southern Yemen separatists seize presidential palace, tearing coalition apart and sparking fears...

Yemen’s southern separatists have seized control of the port city of Aden after storming the presidential palace, the seat of the internationally-recognised government, ripping apart a Gulf coalition fighting rebels in the north and sparking fears of a new war.

Yemeni officials confirmed that the Southern Transitional Council, which was once part of a Gulf-backed coalition fighting the Houthi rebels, had taken all of the government military camps in the strategic city. A separatist commander later claimed they also seized the presidential palace.

The country’s recognised foreign ministry called the action a “coup” while an official within the government told Reuters “it’s all over”.