On Friday, Saudi warplanes struck a stronghold of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a Yemeni group that’s got backing from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is a nominal ally of Saudi Arabia. Yemen’s central government, supported by Saudi Arabia, has launched a ground operation aimed at forcing the STC out of the oil-rich Hadramout province.
Interestingly, the STC formed an alliance with the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC)—Yemen’s internationally recognized government—back in December, taking control of several provinces by force. The STC has maintained its position that South Yemen should be independent, portraying itself as a more determined force ready to combat the Iranian-aligned Houthi militants that have held sway in northern Yemen for the last ten years.
Saudi Arabia has consistently backed the PLC, having led a coalition intervention in Yemen’s civil war since 2015. In contrast, the UAE has lent its support to the STC. Just last week, the PLC ordered the Emiratis to withdraw all their troops from Yemen and to cancel the joint defense agreement with the UAE. While most UAE forces left around 2019, a few counterterrorism units stayed put.
On Friday, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen voiced concerns, saying the STC obstructed a Saudi mediation team from landing in Aden. Moments later, Saudi jets attacked an STC-occupied camp in Hadramout, which shares a border with Saudi Arabia. The Saudis claimed that their actions were a response to the UAE allegedly sending supplies to the STC without permission. They pointed out that two ships that had docked in Mukalla were loaded with arms and vehicles, which they felt escalated the tensions.
Moreover, the Saudis accused the UAE of “pressuring” the STC into aggressive moves that posed a threat to both Yemen’s national security and the stability of the region. The PLC government announced an ongoing Saudi-backed ground operation against the STC, but the Governor of Hadramout expressed a desire for this operation to be largely peaceful. There’s also a 90-day state of emergency declared to address “internal conflict” spurred on by the UAE.
The STC mentioned there were no initial reports of mass casualties, although it acknowledged that the situation during the airstrikes and ground operations was quite chaotic. STC spokesman Mohammed al-Nakib did note fatalities from the Saudi attack but provided no specific numbers. He further accused Saudi Arabia of involving “Islamic Brotherhood and al-Qaeda militias” in this major offensive against the STC.
On the same day, an STC representative stated that their forces throughout southern Yemen were on “full alert,” ready to counter any further provocations. The UAE expressed surprise over the Saudi airstrike, suggesting it was conducted without consulting coalition partners and pointed out what they called “fundamental errors” in Saudi claims.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly rejected any implication that it was pressuring Yemeni factions to undertake military actions, condemning the allegations outright. Meanwhile, reports surfaced about the suspension of flights at Aden International Airport, which is key for travel to areas not under Houthi control. This suspension arose from disputes over air travel to the UAE, as the Emiratis accused Saudi Arabia of trying to block their access, a claim the Saudis denied.
More airstrikes and ground confrontations were reported in Hadramout on Friday, with the governor urging the STC to withdraw all its troops from the province. On the same day, the UAE announced that its last remaining counter-terrorism forces had exited Yemen.
Additionally, STC leader Aidars al-Zubaidi, who also serves as vice president of the PLC, declared a forthcoming two-year “transition period,” after which a referendum regarding South Yemen’s independence would take place. He urged the international community to assist in this effort.
