Yemeni government-aligned forces entered the southern city of Aden on Thursday, signalling a major shift in the balance of power in the country’s south as pressure mounts on the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC).
The deployment comes as the government accelerates efforts to consolidate control over southern provinces, following days of military and political setbacks for the STC and amid reports that its leader, Aidarous al Zubaidi, had fled the country.
According to military sources aligned with Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, units of the National Shield Forces advanced into Aden from the neighbouring province of Abyan, where local authorities have publicly declared support for the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Waddah al-Dubaish, spokesperson for the government-aligned Joint Forces on the western coast, said the first contingents reached the Al Alam area, a strategic eastern gateway to the city. He added that the deployment was part of a phased security plan that would see additional brigades enter Aden in an organised and gradual manner.
“The objective is to secure the city, reinforce stability, and prevent any slide into chaos,” Dubaish said, calling on residents to cooperate with security forces and report suspicious activity.
Shrinking STC footprint
The arrival of National Shield Forces in Aden follows the government’s recent recapture of the eastern provinces of Hadramout and Al Mahra, significantly narrowing the STC’s territorial control.
With authorities in Abyan, Shabwa, and Lahj siding with the government, the council’s effective presence has been reduced to Aden, Al Dhale, and the island of Socotra, according to Yemeni officials.
The latest developments come amid Saudi-led efforts to contain the escalating crisis in Yemen. Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber said he met in Riyadh with an STC delegation to discuss recent moves by the council, which he described as damaging to the southern cause.
In comments posted on the US social media company X, Al Jaber said the discussions focused on restoring cohesion among anti-Houthi forces and laying the groundwork for a broader dialogue on southern Yemen, including preparations for a conference expected to be held in Riyadh.
Critical moment
Tensions intensified further after the Saudi-led coalition said STC leader Zubaidi failed to comply with instructions to travel to Riyadh for talks, instead mobilising forces towards Al-Dhale.
Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al Maliki later said Zubaidi fled Aden by sea before leaving the region by air, a claim denied by the STC, which insists its leader continues to operate from the city.
The dispute took a political turn when Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council announced that it had stripped Zubaidi of his membership and referred him to the public prosecutor on charges of high treason.
The STC has not issued a detailed response, reiterating only that its leader remains active and rejecting the accusations.
Last week, Saudi Arabia accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of pushing STC forces to carry out military operations along the kingdom’s southern border in Hadramout and Mahra. Abu Dhabi denied the accusation.
The confrontation marks one of the most serious rifts within Yemen’s anti-Houthi camp in years, raising concerns over renewed instability in the south at a time when regional and international actors are pushing for de-escalation.
North and South Yemen were unified on May 22 1990, forming the Republic of Yemen. More than three decades later, the question of southern identity and governance remains one of the country’s most volatile fault lines.
