This photo shows Saudi-backed forces deployed in the city of Mukalla in Yemen's coastal southern Hadramawt province. AFP
Mohammed Omar Suwailim, director-general of the Youth and Sports Office in Al-Mahra, told Anadolu that the National Shield Forces now control all nine districts of the province.
He said the "handover between the National Shield Forces and STC fighters was carried out smoothly" at a meeting in Qishn, about 170 km west of the provincial capital Al-Ghaydah, with leaders from both sides present.
Rashad Al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said the operation, launched on Friday, achieved “record success” in securing military and security sites in Hadramawt and called for “stringent measures” to protect public facilities and property.
Hadramawt Governor Salem Al-Khumbashi said authorities had resumed administration of the province from Seiyun, adding that National Shield Forces had taken control of Mukalla and Riyan airport. Yemen’s state media reported that STC forces had withdrawn from Al-Ghaydah airport and the presidential palace.
Al-Alimi urged the STC to “commit to dialogue and reverse unilateral actions in the southern governorates,” while the STC said it welcomes talks on the future of southern Yemen.
On Friday, STC leader Aidrous Al-Zubaidi announced a two-year “transitional phase,” including dialogue with northern Yemeni factions and a proposed referendum on the south’s future. He warned that the group would declare independence immediately if talks failed or if southern Yemen was attacked again.
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have long supported rival groups in Yemen’s divided government. A December STC offensive, in which it took control of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra, angered Saudi Arabia and highlighted tensions between the two Gulf powers.
The Saudi-led coalition launched repeated warnings and airstrikes over the past week, including one on an alleged Emirati arms shipment to the separatists. On Friday, a strike on the Al-Khasha military camp in Hadramawt left 20 dead, according to the STC.
The Saudi foreign ministry called for a “conference in Riyadh to bring together all southern factions to discuss just solutions to the southern cause,” saying the invitation had been issued by the Yemeni government.
The UAE urged Yemenis to “halt escalation and resolve differences through dialogue,” while Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Egypt expressed support for talks in Riyadh and reiterated backing for Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
The Yemeni government is a coalition of groups united against Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, who control most of northern Yemen and have been at war with the government and Saudi-led coalition since 2015. After nearly a decade of civil war, the Houthis remain entrenched in the north, while rival factions continue to clash in the south.
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