Saudi-backed Yemeni forces retake Hadramout and move into al-Mahra

Yemeni government-allied forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, recaptured the oil-rich Hadramout region and "assumed positions" in al-Mahra this weekend, the Yemeni information minister, Moammar al-Eryani, told The New York Times. The advance reversed a swift offensive last month by the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist group supported by the United Arab Emirates that had seized control of most of southern Yemen.

The operation has been described in the paper as effectively turning the conflict into a proxy clash between Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. Saudi forces struck an Emirati shipment arriving in Yemen last week, and the Saudi Foreign Ministry called the separatists' moves a security threat while accusing the Emirates of taking "highly dangerous" steps.

A large convoy flying the flag of the Nation Shield Forces — a Saudi-backed group technically subordinate to the Yemeni government — entered the provincial capital al-Mukalla and took control of key government institutions. Southern Transitional Council spokesman Anwar al-Tamimi said his forces were "forced to withdraw under Saudi bombardment," which he said left them without vehicles in some areas and caused "many casualties." Residents reported explosions consistent with airstrikes.

Key Topics

World, Hadramout, Al-mahra, Southern Transitional Council, Nation Shield Forces, Saudi Arabia