Heavy Clashes Erupt Between UAE-Supported and Saudi-Aligned Forces in Yemen’s Hadramawt
Local sources in Yemen report intense clashes in Hadramawt governorate, in the east of the country, between forces affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) and troops aligned with Saudi Arabia. Concurrently, Saudi warplanes have bombarded STC positions.
According to these reports, the Southern Transitional Council forces, which recently took control of parts of Hadramawt, have engaged in battles with the so-called “Homeland Shield” forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government. The fighting has escalated particularly across various areas of Hadramawt, including the Al-Hasha region in the Hadramawt valley.
The Yemeni government, supported by Saudi Arabia, had previously announced the launch of operations aimed at “taking over military headquarters” in Hadramawt—a governorate that has seen expanding influence by the Southern Transitional Council in recent weeks. On December 3, the STC conducted military operations to seize control of the eastern governorates of Hadramawt and Al-Mahrah, which share borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Amid continuing tensions, the Saudi-led Arab coalition stated that on December 30, it targeted several weapons and military equipment belonging to the Southern Transitional Council at the port of Mukalla. The coalition said two vessels carrying military supplies were transferred from the UAE’s Fujairah port to Mukalla without prior coordination.
Simultaneously, the Yemeni government announced the cancellation of its joint defense agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry, responding to Yemen’s request, called on Abu Dhabi to withdraw its forces from Yemeni territory and to refrain from providing any military or financial support to the warring parties. Riyadh described the UAE’s deployment of Southern Transitional Council forces near the southern borders of Saudi Arabia as a threat to its national security.
In response to these developments, the United Arab Emirates announced that it has voluntarily disbanded its “counter-terrorism” teams in Yemen—a move occurring amid growing rifts between the two former allies in the Yemeni conflict.
