Yemen separatists in Riyadh announce disputed 'dissolution'

A delegation of Yemeni separatists in Riyadh said their group was dissolving on Friday after a failed land grab, but the announcement was dismissed by its spokesman who called it "ridiculous".

Southern Transitional Council (STC) secretary general Abdulrahman al-Subaihi appeared distracted as he read a prepared statement on a Saudi TV news channel.

"We announce the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council," read the statement, which was also carried by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government's official news agency.

It also pledged their "commitment to working towards achieving our just southern goal through preparations for a comprehensive southern conference under the auspices of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia".

Subaihi is among a 50-plus STC delegation that has been incommunicado since arriving in Riyadh in the early hours of Wednesday.

Other Yemeni officials shown in the footage appeared somber.

The delegation was summoned to Riyadh after the United Arab Emirates-backed STC seized swathes of territory last month before being repelled by Saudi warplanes and pro-Saudi forces.

However, STC spokesman Anwar al-Tamimi, who is in Abu Dhabi, rejected the announcement coming out of Saudi Arabia.

"This news is ridiculous," he told AFP, confirming the delegation remained out of contact.