HTA chief accuses UAE of launching treacherous attack on Hadramout

HADRAMOUT, Dec. 20 (YPA) – Head of the Hadramout Tribal Alliance (HTA), Amr bin Habrish, said on Saturday that the Hadramout issue has become an international matter, placing it at the forefront of public awareness across the province.

During his speech marking the 12th anniversary of the founding of the HTA in the Gail Bin Yamin district, he stressed that the situation should not be assessed by military build-ups or misleading media rhetoric, but by results on the ground that serve the interests of the province.

Bin Habrish explained that the demands have shifted from protecting Hadramout’s wealth to protecting private property, pointing to what he described as looting by the forces of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council. He called the attack on oil facilities a treacherous and hostile action against Hadramout, noting that the confrontations, despite the imbalance of forces, resulted in greater losses among the attacking forces.

He reiterated his adherence to the agreement signed with the local authority, describing the “protection of Hadramout” factions as regular forces. Bin Habrish rejected the presence of the STC’s armed factions in the province, calling its political influence “zero”, and stressed that the people of Hadramout remain committed to the option of autonomy.

This marks the second appearance of the head of the HTA since the UAE-backed forces took control of the districts of Wadi Hadramout and desert areas in early December-events that, according to local documents, were accompanied by thousands of violations, including killed and wounded. Those forces also imposed a siege on Hatta camps and the vicinity of PetroMasila facilities, before the clashes stopped following a truce agreement, amid HTA’s accusations of kidnappings targeting civilians and wounded from the province.

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