Assassination attempt on commander in Hadramout, STC ambushes cast shadow over recent Aden confrontations
SANAA, Jan. 06 (YPA) – The confrontation between UAE-backed and Saudi-backed factions has shifted from military mobilization to a “war of ambushes” and assassinations, revealing a bloody phase shrouded in ambiguity regarding the future of foreign influence in the oil-rich provinces of eastern Yemen.
Informed local sources reported that Ali al-Shamsi, a commander in the Saudi-backed “First Division of Dera Al-Watan Forces,” survived an assassination attempt today, Monday. An explosive device attack targeted his vehicle at the Al-Abr market junction in the Hadramout desert, days after the expulsion of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) factions from the Hadramout valley districts.
Local sources stated that the attack, believed to be carried out by elements loyal to the UAE, resulted in moderate injuries to two “Dera Al-Watan” recruits, with no further details provided regarding al-Shamsi’s condition.
In a related context, media outlets loyal to the STC launched a media campaign alleging the return of Al-Qaeda and ISIS elements following the withdrawal of Emirati forces from Hadramout.
Conversely, pro-Saudi leaders leveled direct accusations against Abu Dhabi, claiming it manages and directs terrorist elements to launch retaliatory attacks in Hadramout and Mahra to destabilize factions loyal to Riyadh.
Meanwhile, Southern activists issued widespread warnings regarding armed ambushes set by UAE-loyal factions on the main road in Abyan province—specifically in the areas of Khabar al-Maraqisha, Mudiyah, Ahwar, and Al-Mahfad. This coincides with reports of “Dera Al-Watan” forces arriving in Shabwa and heading toward Abyan to clear them of STC factions.
On the ground in Shabwa, informed sources confirmed the actual start of the withdrawal of the UAE-backed “Shabwa Defense” forces from the Al-Areen camp in the Arma district, just one month after they had expelled forces loyal to the Islah Party from the site.
The evacuation of the strategic Al-Areen camp, located between the provinces of Shabwa and Marib, serves as a prelude to its handover to the “Dera Al-Watan” forces as part of the Saudi empowerment plan in the oil provinces, extending toward the STC stronghold in Aden.
This comes amid Saudi threats against any parties or elements attempting to intercept its factions or obstruct their progress to their destination.
Observers believe that control over Abyan by pro-Saudi forces would mean safe access to the STC stronghold in Aden, amid reports that STC President Aidarus al-Zubaidi has been prevented from departing for the UAE.
Furthermore, controlling the coastal road in Abyan opens the way to secure Aden and extend reach to the western coast of Yemen, where the districts of Lahj and the coastal districts of Taiz are under the control of UAE-loyal factions led by Tariq Saleh—whom Riyadh classifies within the list of insurgents against the “legitimacy” of Presidential Leadership Council’s head Rashad al-Alimi.
These developments confirm that Saudi Arabia is moving forward with a military replacement plan, working to substitute pro-UAE factions with “Dera Al-Watan” forces in all vital areas, starting from Mahra on the border with Oman, through Hadramout, and reaching the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the western coast, to impose a new reality that ends loyalty to the UAE in areas under the Saudi-led coalition control.
YPA