Heavy Saudi military air activity reported over Yemen’s Shabwa province
ADEN, June 03 (YPA) – Intense and unprecedented Saudi military aviation activity was reported on Wednesday over Yemen’s southeastern, oil-rich Shabwa province, raising speculation about potential structural rearrangements among Saudi-led coalition-backed forces in the region.
Local residents and social media activists circulated video footage documenting low-altitude flights of Saudi fighter jets and military transport helicopters operating simultaneously across the province.
Local sources in Shabwa reported that Ataq Airport witnessed a significant surge in military air traffic, characterized by frequent takeoffs and landings of Saudi aircraft. The sources described the scale of the operations as “unprecedented” since the Saudi-led coalition’s deployment in the area.
According to those sources, the intensified aerial movement is reportedly linked to the transport of international military experts and personnel. The deployment is allegedly aimed at restructuring and reorganizing Saudi-backed security and military factions within the province.
These developments follow unverified reports circulated by Yemeni commentators in February regarding the presence of Western and US military personnel in Shabwa, reportedly tasked with supervising the training of the “Dera Al-Watan” forces—a Salafist-aligned military formation formed under the auspices of the Presidential Leadership Council and directly funded by Riyadh.
Regional observers suggest that the accelerated military maneuvers indicate an effort by Riyadh to consolidate its influence and reposition its forces across eastern and southern Yemen. This comes amid shifting dynamics following a late-January offensive by UAE-backed factions into parts of eastern Yemen, which altered the local balance of power between the coalition partners.
Neither the Saudi-led coalition nor local provincial authorities have issued an official statement regarding the nature or objectives of Wednesday’s military maneuvers.
YPA