Internationally backed Yemeni government forces have taken full control of all districts in the eastern province of Al Mahra following the withdrawal of fighters from the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a local official has said.
Mohammed Omar Suwailim, director-general of the Youth and Sports Office in Al Mahra, told Anadolu on Saturday that the National Shield Forces now control all nine districts of the province.
He added that the “handover process between the National Shield Forces and STC fighters was carried out smoothly during a meeting attended by leaders from both sides in Qishn district (about 170 kilometres west of the provincial capital, Al Ghaydah).”
The development comes as the Yemeni government also announced that National Shield Forces had taken full control of the desert and valley regions of neighbouring Hadhramaut after STC fighters pulled out.
State media reported that STC fighters had withdrawn from Al Ghaydah airport and the presidential palace in Al Mahra.
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The National Shield Forces were established in 2023 by a decision of President Rashad al Alimi and operate under the command of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
The STC, which supports southern secession, did not immediately comment. The group had taken control of Al Mahra about a month ago.
Yemen has seen a sharp escalation in tensions since early December, when STC fighters seized parts of Hadhramaut and Al Mahra.
Together, the two provinces make up nearly half of Yemen’s territory and border Saudi Arabia.
On Friday, STC leader Aidrous al Zubaidi announced a two-year “transitional phase”, including dialogue with northern Yemeni factions and a proposed “referendum” on the future of the south.
The announcement came amid growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Riyadh has accused Abu Dhabi of “pushing STC forces to carry out military operations” along Saudi Arabia’s southern border, a claim the UAE has denied.
The STC says southern regions have been politically and economically marginalised by successive Yemeni governments and calls for secession.
Yemeni authorities reject the accusations and insist on preserving the country’s unity.
