Military moves spark confrontation with HTA in Hadramout

HADRAMOUT, Dec. 25 (YPA) – Armed factions, backed by the UAE, pushed on Thursday huge military reinforcements towards Hadramout province, east of Yemen.

Sources familiar with the matter said the reinforcements were heading to the district of “Ghayl Bin Yamin”, a last stronghold of the command of the Saudi-funded Hadramout Tribal Alliance (HTA), in move described as signaling the imminent explosion of the all-out confrontation.

The sources said that the leadership of the UAE-backed security support forces, stationed on the Ghayl Bin Yamin hilltop, had reinforced its presence with armed units and groups in the Wadi Nahab area, in preparation for an inclusive offensive targeting HTA’s positions in the areas of Ghayl bin Yamin, Al-Maadi, and Al-Radoud.

This action on the ground comes as a practical and violent response to the statement made by the Saudi Ministry of foreign affairs, which demanded the UAE-funded Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces to immediately withdraw from the provinces of Hadramout and Mahra, de-escalate, and prioritize the public interest.

The Saudi statement stressed the necessity of withdrawing the STC forces from the Hadramout and Mahra to prevent the deterioration of security and stability, warning that the continuation of this situation could lead to “the most ominous consequences,” in a direct warning to the STC, which responded by escalating on the ground and attempting to impose a new military reality in the Ghayl Bin Yamin area, where key oil facilities are located.

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