Saudi-led Coalition Airstrikes and Rising Tensions Among Yemeni Factions in Hadramout
The Saudi foreign ministry has called for a comprehensive conference in Riyadh to unite all southern Yemeni factions and discuss solutions to the southern cause following the Southern Transitional Council's (STC) bid for independence and the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) withdrawal of troops from Yemen.
The STC recently announced a constitution declaring an independent southern state and urged other Yemeni factions to recognize this move, although the viability of the declaration remains unclear. Meanwhile, the UAE confirmed it had withdrawn all troops from Yemen, which has intensified tensions with Saudi Arabia regarding the country's future.
Amid these developments, the Saudi-led coalition conducted multiple airstrikes in the Hadramout region, including seven strikes targeting the al-Khasah camp that resulted in seven fatalities and more than 20 injuries. Salem al-Khanbashi, the governor of Hadramout under the internationally recognized government, stated that the operation aimed to peacefully and systematically transfer control of military sites and emphasized that it was not a declaration of war.
Contrarily, Amr al-Bidh, head of the STC in Wadi Hadramaut and the Hadramaut desert, accused Riyadh of misleading the international community by describing the operation as peaceful, noting that it was accompanied by airstrikes.
Further friction was revealed when Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jabir reported that the STC had blocked a Saudi delegation from landing at Aden airport. Additionally, the STC-controlled transport ministry denounced a Saudi demand requiring all planes traveling to and from the UAE to stop in Saudi Arabia for security checks. Reports indicate that Aden airport had no commercial flights for more than 24 hours following these incidents.
