At least four civilians were killed in coalition strikes in Yemen on Wednesday, two hospital sources told AFP, as the force raided the home province of a separatist leader who was kicked out of the presidency.

More than 15 airstrikes hit Dhale, the home governorate of Aidaros Alzubidi, whose Southern Transitional Council (STC) grabbed swathes of territory last month before seeing the advance rolled back by the coalition and forces.

“The initial toll from the strikes on the province of al-Dhale is four civilian deaths and six wounded,” medical sources at the Al-Nasr and Al-Tadamon hospitals in al-Dhale told AFP.

The coalition said it had given Aidaros Alzubidi a 48-hour ultimatum to come to Riyadh for discussions, after Southern Transitional Council (STC) grabbed swathes of territory last month.

But he failed to board the flight carrying his delegation, and the coalition struck his home province of al-Dhale after accusing him of mobilising “large forces” there.

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which holds executive power, then announced Alzubidi’s removal, accusing him of high treason. The showdown between Yemen’s rival factions raised fears that second city Aden, where the STC insisted its leader was still located, could be drawn into the violence.

Alzubidi “fled to an unknown location … after he had distributed weapons and ammunition to dozens of elements inside Aden”, coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said in a statement.

The coalition carried out new strikes to prevent Alzubidi from “escalating the conflict” and extending it into Dhale governorate, he said.

An STC official told AFP that Alzubidi decided not to join the delegation flying to Saudi Arabia for talks after hearing he would be asked to dissolve his group, which forms part of the PLC.

Later, the STC said it had lost contact with the delegation following its arrival in Riyadh, urging Saudi Arabia to “guarantee the safety of its delegation currently in Riyadh”.

Alzubidi “continues his duties” in Aden, the group said, calling on the coalition to halt the air strikes.

‘Grave crimes’

The PLC announced Alzubidi’s removal, accusing him of committing several crimes, including “high treason” and “engaging in armed insurgency”.

“It has been established that [Alzubidi] has abused the just cause of the South and exploited it to commit grave crimes against civilians in the southern governorates,” it said.

More than 100 people have been killed in the Yemeni coalition’s strikes on the separatists’ positions and in clashes on the ground.

The coalition and another group said it has asked STC deputy Abdulrahman al-Mahrami, who is in Riyadh and approved Alzubidi’s dismissal from the presidency, to “enforce security and prevent hostilities in Aden”.

A security official in Aden told AFP that the forces loyal to Mahrami have been deployed in the streets and government buildings, including the presidential palace.

Aden is an STC stronghold and home to the group’s headquarters.

After Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014, it became the government’s self-proclaimed temporary capital.

As the civil war progressed, the STC’s political and military influence expanded across south Yemen and they became a dominant force in Aden.

Another security official told AFP that two days ago, the STC evacuated its headquarters in Aden and moved the operations of its TV channel to an unknown location for fear of bombing.

Last week, Alzubidi had announced a two-year transition towards creating a new country, “South Arabia”, in Yemen’s south.