UPDATE 2 - Yemeni government announces control of Hadhramaut desert, valley after STC withdrawal

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, ADDS DECK

By Mohammed Sameai and Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Yemeni government said Saturday its Nation’s Shield Forces took full control of Hadhramaut’s desert and valley region after Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces withdrew, as Yemen’s state-run media reported STC troop withdrawal from Al-Ghaydah airport and the presidential palace in the eastern province of Al-Mahra.

The announcement came in a statement issued by the Hadhramaut local authority and published on its social media accounts. There was no immediate comment from the STC forces.

According to the statement, Hadhramaut Governor Salem Al-Khanbashi declared the successful completion of operations to secure military camps in the desert and valley region.

He said the Nation’s Shield Forces completed their deployment at all vital sites, fully securing Seiyun International Airport as well as sovereign and service facilities across the Hadhramaut desert and valley region.

The governor noted that the forces began moving toward the Hadhramaut coast to carry out their national duties of establishing security, securing vital and sovereign facilities, protecting public and private property, and safeguarding citizens and their assets.

Khanbashi added that the local authority has already begun implementing a comprehensive normalization plan to ensure the continuity of services and public life in the desert and valley region.

For their part, tribal forces loyal to the Yemeni government in Hadhramaut said they have secured the presidential palace in the city of Seiyun.

The Hadhramaut Protection Forces said in a video statement that they have “secured the presidential palace in Seiyun to protect it from any looting.”

The forces said they have informed the security administration of the Hadhramaut desert and valley region that the palace remains under their protection “until the Nation’s Shield Forces arrive to take it over.”

The move marks a notable development, as the presidential palace is considered one of the most important sovereign sites in Hadhramaut and carries strong symbolic significance, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

Earlier, a Yemeni government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Anadolu that the government-affiliated Nation’s Shield Forces “succeeded in regaining control of Seiyun International Airport in the city of Seiyun.”

The source said the takeover came after the STC forces withdrew from the international airport, which it had shut down and turned into a military barracks after seizing it during its sudden military moves in early December.

The source provided no further details, while Yemeni media activists circulated videos showing a heavy presence of the Nation’s Shield Forces inside Seiyun airport on Saturday morning.

The Nation’s Shield Forces were formed in 2023 with a decision from Rashad al-Alimi, who heads Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, and operate under his command.

Hadhramaut is Yemen’s largest governorate by area, accounting for roughly one-third of the country’s total territory.

It is administratively divided into two parts: one comprising the coastal districts, with Mukalla as the largest city, and the other encompassing the Valley and Desert districts, with Seiyun as the largest city.

- STC withdrawals

In a related development, Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency, citing an unnamed local authority source, said STC forces also withdrew from Al-Ghaydah Airport and the presidential palace in the eastern province of Al-Mahra, without providing further details.

Alimi tasked Al-Mahra Governor Mohammed Ali Yasser with taking control of the facilities and restoring normal conditions in the province, the outlet said.

There was no immediate comment from the STC, which advocates southern secession and had taken control of Al-Mahra about a month ago.

Yemen has seen an unprecedented escalation since Tuesday, after the STC forces took control of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra in early December. The two provinces account for nearly half of Yemen’s territory and share borders with Saudi Arabia.

On Friday, the STC head, Aidrous al-Zubaidi, announced a two-year “transitional phase” that would include dialogue with parties in northern Yemen and a “referendum” on the future of the south.

The move came amid a rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE after Riyadh accused Abu Dhabi of “pushing STC forces to carry out military operations” along the kingdom’s southern border in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra. The UAE denied the accusation.

The STC says successive Yemeni governments have marginalized southern regions politically and economically and calls for secession. Yemeni authorities reject the claim and reaffirm their commitment to the country’s unity.