Yemen’s Saudi-backed government launched an operation to take back military positions from southern separatists and said it had reclaimed one of the largest military camps in Hadramout province.
The operation in Hadramout marks the latest escalation in Yemen.
Hadramout’s governor, Salem Ahmed Saeed al-Khunbashi, said in a statement that his forces had taken control of a military camp in al-Khasha’a, the largest and most important base in the province.
The governor had earlier said his forces were launching what he called a “peaceful” operation.
A senior official of the Southern Transitional Council told Reuters the operation had not been peaceful.
Yemen’s government said it had appointed Hadramout’s governor to take overall command of the “Homeland Shield” forces in the eastern province, granting him full military, security and administrative authority in what it said was a move to restore security and order.
This is not a declaration of war, the governor said in a speech on Yemen TV, adding that the move aims to prevent the use of camps to threaten security and to protect Hadramout from sliding into chaos.
The oil-producing Hadramout province borders Saudi Arabia and many prominent Saudis trace their origins to it, lending it cultural and historical significance for the kingdom.
A spokesperson for the STC, Mohammed al-Naqeeb, said that forces were on full alert across the region and warned that it was ready to respond forcefully in a post on X.
