Saudi Arabia deploys military reinforcements to Aden amid rising tensions with “dissolved” STC

ADEN, June 18 (YPA) – New Saudi military reinforcements, including dozens of military vehicles belonging to the “Emergency” forces from Hadramout governorate, arrived in Aden on Thursday.

The deployment comes in anticipation of an escalation and potential clashes with the militias and supporters of the “dissolved” Southern Transitional Council (STC) loyal to the UAE.

These reinforcements are part of an ongoing influx of hundreds of military vehicles since the decision to dissolve the UAE-backed STC last January, dismantle its factions, and sideline its president, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who reportedly fled to Abu Dhabi via Somalia. This field mobilization coincides with Saudi diplomatic efforts through the UN to blacklist al-Zubaidi and key officials, freeze the council’s assets, and potentially designate it as a “terrorist organization.”

In response, the STC has called on its supporters to stage a protest this Saturday at Al-Aroudh Square under the slogan “Rejecting Saudi Tutelage and Resisting Occupation,” raising fears of imminent armed clashes.

These military developments coincide with a second consecutive week of popular protests in Aden, driven by the collapse of the power grid, unpaid salaries, and skyrocketing commodity prices, alongside an unprecedented health crisis fueled by scorching summer temperatures and spreading disease amid public outcry over the silence of the Saudi-backed government.

YPA