UAE using extremist groups in Hadramout as political leverage against Saudi Arabia

HADRAMOUT, Jan. 04 (YPA) -An announcement by Aden Independent Channel (AIC), affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), reporting the escape of Al-Qaeda members from Mukalla’s Political Security Prison has raised questions about the timing and implications of the incident amid ongoing developments in Hadramout province.

The channel reported that prisoners affiliated with Al-Qaeda managed to escape from the Mukalla Political Security Prison, exploiting what it described as a security lapse in the city, without specifying the number of escapees or the exact timing of the incident.

This announcement cannot be separated from the ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which resulted in the withdrawal of UAE-backed STC forces from the governorate.

The report also indicates that the UAE appears to be using the issue of extremist groups as a political tool against Saudi Arabia, potentially at the expense of Hadramout’s security and stability.

@E.Y.M