Military alert declared in Aden amid growing fears of armed confrontation

ADEN, May 21 (YPA) – Southern resistance factions announced on Thursday that they had raised their combat readiness to the highest level and declared full preparedness to respond to any emergency developments in areas under Saudi-backed control, amid growing military and security tensions in Aden and other southern regions.

The announcement coincided with reports that a planned military parade involving Saudi-backed factions at the Bir Ahmed camp in Aden was canceled.

According to local sources, the event had been scheduled as part of preparations marking the 36th anniversary of Yemeni unity.

Meanwhile, journalist Majed Al-Dairi stated in a post on the X platform that several ministers from the government headed by Shaya al-Zindani departed Aden airport on Thursday for the Saudi capital Riyadh under unclear circumstances, with no official explanation provided for the sudden trip.

Media outlets affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) circulated a statement attributed to the “Southern Resistance,” affirming that the group would not allow harm to citizens’ property or any attempt to undermine what it described as the political and military achievements of the STC.

The statement added that the southern issue would remain, in its words, “a matter of dignity” and could not be erased or bypassed regardless of the challenges.

In a related development, resistance factions in Dhale province also announced their readiness to confront “any emergency situation,” saying the move came in response to what they described as continued military provocations by pro-Saudi military and local leaders in Aden and Hadramout.