Yemen’s government launches military operation against UAE-backed STC in Hadramout Province

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said Friday it had launched an operation to reclaim military positions from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the oil-producing Hadramout province, marking a fresh escalation in tensions between the two Gulf allies backing rival forces in the country.

The government said its forces had retaken one of the largest military camps in Hadramout, as the long-simmering rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates played out on the ground. Once close partners in regional security, the two Gulf powers have seen their interests diverge in recent months over issues ranging from oil policy to geopolitical influence.

Hadramout’s Saudi-backed governor, Salem Ahmed Saeed al-Khunbashi, said in a statement that government forces had taken control of a military camp in al-Khasha’a, describing it as the largest and most important base in the province. He had earlier said his forces were launching what he called a “peaceful” operation.

A senior official from the UAE-backed STC rejected that description.

“The operation had not been peaceful,” Amr Al Bidh told news agency Reuters.

“Saudi Arabia knowingly misled the international community by announcing a peaceful operation that they never had any intention to keep peaceful,” he said in a statement.

“This was evidenced by the fact that they launched seven airstrikes minutes later,” he added.

Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the airstrikes. It was unclear if there were any casualties.

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said it had appointed Hadramout’s governor to take overall command of the “Homeland Shield” forces in the eastern province, granting him full military, security and administrative authority. The move, it said, was aimed at restoring security and order.

“This is not a declaration of war,” the governor said in a speech on Yemen TV, adding that the operation sought to prevent military camps from being used to threaten security and to protect Hadramout from sliding into chaos.

Hadramout, which borders Saudi Arabia, holds cultural and historical significance for the kingdom, with many prominent Saudis tracing their origins to the province.

STC spokesperson Mohammed al-Naqeeb said forces were on full alert across the region and warned they were ready to respond forcefully in a post on X.

Bidh told Reuters that three of the airstrikes targeted the al-Khasha’a military camp. Three Yemeni sources said armoured vehicles belonging to the Saudi-backed government had been moving towards the base, which can house thousands of troops and was seized by the STC in December.

The STC, backed by the UAE, took control of large parts of southern Yemen last month from the internationally recognised government, a move Riyadh viewed as a threat. The UAE last week said it was withdrawing its remaining forces from Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a call for them to leave within 24 hours, one of the most severe public disagreements between the two Gulf oil powers.

While the withdrawal briefly eased tensions, disputes among rival groups in Yemen have continued. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are both key members of the OPEC oil exporters’ group, and disagreements between them risk complicating consensus on oil output. They and six other OPEC+ members are due to meet online on Sunday, with delegates saying the group will extend a policy of maintaining first-quarter production unchanged.

Separately, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen blamed STC leader Aidarus Al-Zubaidi for refusing to allow a plane carrying a Saudi delegation to land in Aden on Thursday, as flights at Aden international airport remained suspended into Friday.

“For several weeks and until yesterday, the Kingdom sought to make all efforts with the Southern Transitional Council to end the escalation … but it faced continuous rejection and stubbornness from Aidarus Al-Zubaidi,” Saudi ambassador Mohammed Al-Jaber said on X.

Al-Jaber said Zubaidi had ordered the closure of air traffic at Aden airport, preventing the Saudi delegation from landing. The STC-controlled transport ministry accused Saudi Arabia of imposing an air blockade, saying Riyadh required all flights to pass through Saudi Arabia for additional checks.

Aden’s international airport is the main gateway for parts of Yemen outside Houthi control.