SANAA, Yemen -- Yemeni separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates have wrested control of much of the southern port city of Aden, including the presidential palace, from forces loyal to the internationally backed government after heavy fighting, Yemeni security officials said Saturday.
The death toll in four days of fighting in the southern city climbed to more than 70 people, including civilians, the officials said.
The fighting erupted Wednesday when forces loyal to the so-called Southern Transitional Council attempted to break into the presidential palace in Aden after a call from ex-Cabinet minister Hani Bin Braik, who serves as deputy head of the STC, to "topple" the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
Braik accused Hadi and his forces of being members of, or loyal to, the Yemeni branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, a pan-Arab political movement that the UAE and some other Arab countries view as a terrorist organization.
The internationally recognized government, in turn, has accused the separatist leader of fomenting sedition that would only serve the rebels and called upon the Saudi and Emirati governments to press the separatists to halt their attacks.
Aden is the seat of power for Hadi, who has been staying in Saudi Arabia since Iran-backed rebels, known as Houthis, took over the capital Sanaa in 2014, ushering the civil war. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015 on behalf of Hadi's government.
The stalemated war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, thrust millions to the brink of famine and spawned the world's most devastating humanitarian crisis.
The UAE is a key member of the coalition. But its relations with Hadi have been tense amid allegations the Emiratis have offered patronage to southern Yemeni politicians campaigning for secession as well as what the president perceives as UAE violations of his country's sovereignty.
UAE's official WAM news agency reported Saturday that the country's foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, called for an end to the military escalation in Aden.
Government officials said at least 45 people, both combatants and civilians, died in clashes at the Fourth Brigade camp. Another five civilians were killed in the surrounding Dar Saad neighbourhood, according to health officials.
That has raised the death toll to 70 along with dozens wounded in the fighting in Aden this week.
In the past four days, civilians have become caught in the crossfire and residents have been trapped in their homes as fighting moved into densely populated residential areas.
"We cannot find safe roads to flee the clashes. There is no way to get out. People are frightened as heavy fighting came close to them," a resident in Dar Saad said on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
Forces from the UAE-trained and financed militia known as Security Belt seized control of the presidential palace in the district of Crater without clashes with the presidential guards, the security officials said. They said around 300 presidential guards were allowed to leave the area.
The palace had been handed to forces from the Saudi-led coalition earlier on Saturday, the officials said.
They added that the separatists also captured a military camp in the central Khormaksar neighbourhood.
The officials said most of the authorities in Hadi's government, including Interior Minister Ahmed al-Maisari and other top military officials in Aden, turned themselves over to coalition forces to avoid being captured or killed by separatists.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
Humanitarian organizations such as the International Rescue Committee have suspended operations in Aden.
