The rift between the two Gulf powerhouses, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has deepened further over their neighboring country Yemen, as the Saudi-led military coalition carried out airstrikes against a rival group supported by the UAE. The Saudi-backed "Shield of the State" forces announced on Friday that they would "peacefully" take over bases in Yemen's largest province, Hadramawt (near the Saudi border), from the Southern Transitional Council (STC), after which hostilities erupted. The STC stated that its forces clashed with the group after the Saudi-backed faction entered the area and airstrikes hit some of their bases. "We repelled their initial assault, forcing them to retreat, and then the Saudi air force intervened to support them," STC spokesman Anwar Al-Tamimi told Al Jazeera. A Yemeni government spokesman confirmed the airstrikes to the broadcaster. Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of "pressuring" the STC to launch attacks near its border, labeling the move a "red line" and demanding the Gulf state withdraw its forces within 24 hours. The UAE subsequently announced it would pull out its troops and denied allegations that it sought to jeopardize Saudi security.