Clashes in Yemen’s Hadramout as Separatists Say Saudi Struck Border Positions
Fighting erupted on Friday in Yemen’s Hadramout province along the Saudi border, where forces loyal to the region’s Saudi-backed governor and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) exchanged fire amid accusations of cross-border strikes.
The STC accused Saudi Arabia of bombing its forces near the border. Mohammed Abdulmalik, head of the STC in Wadi Hadramaut and the Hadramaut Desert, said seven people were killed and more than 20 wounded after seven air strikes hit a camp in Al-Khasah.
Hadramout’s governor, Salem al-Khanbashi, said the governorate was moving to take back military sites from the STC. He described the action as an effort to “peacefully and systematically” reclaim those bases and said the move was intended as a stabilising measure.
“The operation is not a declaration of war or an escalation, but rather a precautionary measure to protect security and prevent chaos,” al-Khanbashi said in a statement announcing the initiative to restore state control over the sites.
The governor’s appointment followed a decision by Yemen’s Saudi-backed government to vest him with overall command of the National Shield forces in the eastern province. The government said the appointment granted him full military, security and administrative authority intended to restore security and order in the region.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent reporting from Sanaa said fighting was reported at positions where STC forces are located along the Saudi border, but that available information suggested the STC had maintained control of its positions and that independent confirmation of all reports was still pending.
The outbreak of hostilities comes amid broader tensions between Saudi Arabia, the internationally recognised Yemeni government it backs, the United Arab Emirates and the STC. Riyadh and the Yemeni government have accused the UAE of arming the STC and of pushing the group to seize parts of Hadramout and al-Mahra provinces last month. The UAE has denied the allegations and said it remains committed to Saudi security.
Riyadh has warned that the STC’s expanding presence in provinces that border Saudi Arabia poses a threat to its national security. The STC has insisted its fighters will remain in place in southern provinces that both Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government want them to withdraw from.
Last week, the UAE announced it was pulling its remaining forces out of Yemen after Saudi Arabia supported a call for those forces to leave within 24 hours. Saudi, Emirati and STC personnel had operated together intermittently within a coalition Riyadh formed a decade ago to confront the Houthi movement.
The coalition has been strained by the STC’s secessionist actions and allegations of Emirati assistance to the separatists, an issue that has heightened friction among the partners.
Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, warned against attempts to oppose government decisions, saying such opposition risked plunging the country into renewed violence. He said the decision to end the Emirati military presence was part of an effort to correct the coalition’s course and to stop support for elements outside state control.
“The decision to end the Emirati military presence came within the framework of correcting the course of the [coalition] and in coordination with its joint leadership, and in a way that ensures the cessation of any support for elements outside the state,” al-Alimi said in a statement.
Tensions also affected civil aviation. Flights at Aden International Airport were halted on Thursday and the suspension continued into Friday. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, blamed STC leader Aidarus al-Zubaidi for refusing landing permission for a plane carrying a Saudi delegation to Aden.
“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,” the ambassador said on social media.
The STC-controlled Transport Ministry accused Saudi Arabia of imposing an air blockade, alleging Riyadh required all flights to be routed via Saudi territory for extra checks. A Saudi source denied the allegation, saying the internationally recognised Yemeni government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council, imposed a requirement for UAE-bound flights to land in Jeddah for inspection.
Yemeni presidential adviser Thabet al-Ahmadi told Al Jazeera that the requirement applied to one route departing from Aden and was introduced to prevent STC money smuggling.
The situation in Hadramout has intensified concerns that fractures within the anti-Houthi coalition could destabilise southern Yemen further, particularly in border areas with important security implications for Saudi Arabia. With forces on multiple sides asserting control and accusing rivals of escalation, the risk of broader confrontation remains a central worry for regional and international observers.
Key Topics
Hadramout Fighting, Southern Transitional Council, Stc Accuses Saudi Arabia, Salem Al-khanbashi, Al-khasah Airstrikes, National Shield Forces, Presidential Leadership Council, Saudi-uae Relations, Uae Military Withdrawal From Yemen, Aden Airport Flight Suspension, Aidarus Al-zubaidi, Cross-border Strikes Yemen-saudi, Border Security With Saudi Arabia, Allegations Of Emirati Support To Stc, Anti-houthi Coalition Tensions