Saudi-backed Yemeni govt launches operation against STC in Hadramout province

ADEN, Yemen -- The Saudi-backed Yemeni government on Friday launched a military operation against the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the southeastern oil-rich province of Hadramout, said provincial Governor Salem Al-Khanbashi.

In an address broadcast by the state-run television from the Saudi capital Riyadh, the governor said the operation aims to restore state authority and ensure security and stability in the province, particularly around key government institutions and strategic facilities.

He said the move came after repeated attempts to contain tensions through dialogue had failed, accusing STC-affiliated forces of "undermining local security arrangements and challenging the authority of the internationally recognized government."

He stressed that the operation should not be viewed as a "war" or an attempt at escalation, but rather as a "preventive security step" to neutralize weapons, stop the use of camps to threaten Hadramout's security, and protect the governorate from potential "chaos scenarios."

Meanwhile, a military official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that hundreds of vehicles and personnel of the Saudi-backed Yemeni National Shield Forces had departed positions near the Saudi border to participate in the anti-STC operation.

No details were provided on the scope of the operation or possible casualties. The STC has not yet commented on the announcement. However, in a previous statement, the council said its forces were on high combat readiness and alert.

Hadramout, Yemen's largest province and a key oil-producing region, has witnessed rising political and military tensions in recent days amid ongoing rivalry between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the STC.

Tensions between the two factions escalated after the STC seized large swathes of Hadramout and the eastern province of Al-Mahrah last month. Saudi Arabia also considers these areas a "red line" due to their proximity to the Saudi border and their concentration of Yemen's remaining energy reserves.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when Houthi forces captured Sanaa and large swathes of the north, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015.

Formed in 2017, the UAE-sponsored STC seeks self-determination and eventual independence for southern Yemen. Despite joining the Saudi-led coalition and integrating into Yemen's ruling Presidential Leadership Council in 2022, the group continues to push for southern sovereignty, leading to recurring disputes over power-sharing and control of resources.