Yemen's Southern Transitional Council leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi failed to board a plane to Riyadh and fled to an unknown location, the Saudi-backed coalition said on Wednesday.
Alzubidi fled and mobilised "large forces" in Yemen's southwest, around Aden, after failing to attend talks in Riyadh, the coalition said.
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.
Alzubidi had been due to travel to the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday for talks aimed at easing the clashes.
But his plane was delayed, and he was not on board when it departed, the coalition said.
An STC official told AFP that AlZubidi decided not to fly to Saudi Arabia after receiving information that he would be asked to dissolve the group, which forms part of the Presidential Leadership Council.
The official said the delegation left for Riyadh without Aidaros.
In a statement, the Presidential Leadership Council, which holds executive power and groups rival factions, announced Zubidi´s removal, accusing him of high treason.
"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.
