- The Southern Transitional Council said Saudi airstrikes killed seven people and wounded more than 20 during clashes with Saudi-backed forces in Yemen’s Hadramout province.
- The fighting followed the appointment of Hadramout Governor Salem al-Khanbashi as commander of National Shield forces with full authority to retake military sites.
Saudi airstrikes hit positions near the Saudi border in Yemen’s Hadramout province on Friday amid clashes between forces loyal to the Saudi-backed provincial governor and fighters aligned with the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), according to statements from local officials and the STC.
The STC accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out seven airstrikes against its forces near the border, saying the strikes hit a camp in the Al-Khasah area of Hadramout. Mohammed Abdulmalik, head of the STC in Wadi Hadramaut and the Hadramaut Desert, said seven people were killed and more than 20 were wounded in the strikes.
Fighting broke out earlier on Friday between forces loyal to Hadramout’s governor and STC-aligned units after moves by the Saudi-backed authorities to reassert control over military sites in the province, which borders Saudi Arabia and holds strategic importance due to its size and location.
Hadramout Governor Salem al-Khanbashi said the operation against STC-held positions was intended to regain bases without escalation. “The operation is not a declaration of war or an escalation, but rather a precautionary measure to protect security and prevent chaos,” he said in a statement released on Friday.
According to Al Jazeera, clashes were reported in areas where STC forces are positioned along the Saudi border. Reporting from Sanaa, correspondent Mohammed Al Attab said fighting was ongoing in several locations but noted that confirmation from the ground remained limited. “We are still waiting for confirmation about what is going on there,” he said, adding that the latest available information suggested STC forces had maintained control of their positions.
The confrontation follows a decision by Yemen’s Saudi-backed government to appoint al-Khanbashi as overall commander of the National Shield forces in Hadramout. The government said the appointment granted him full military, security, and administrative authority in the eastern province as part of efforts to restore order and consolidate control over armed formations.
The Southern Transitional Council, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, has long competed with the internationally recognized Yemeni government for influence in southern Yemen. While both sides have at times aligned against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, tensions between Saudi-backed and UAE-aligned forces have periodically erupted into open clashes.
Hadramout has largely avoided the scale of fighting seen in other parts of Yemen, making the outbreak of violence there particularly sensitive. The province’s proximity to Saudi Arabia and its role as a logistical and security buffer give it added strategic weight for Riyadh.