Aden, Yemen – The Southern Transitional Council (STC) has escalated its rhetoric against Saudi Arabia following airstrikes that targeted the port of Mukalla early this morning. While STC leaders described the operation as an “aggression,” signs of a potential military and legal campaign are emerging. The aim is to counter the decisions of President Rashad al-Alimi and the Saudi military intervention.
Escalation in Shabwa: “We are waiting for the zero hour”
In the first official response from the southern provinces, Sheikh Lahmar Ali Lasoud, head of the local leadership of the Southern Transitional Council in Shabwa Governorate, stated that the leadership is preparing to take exceptional measures.
Ben Lassoud confirmed in media statements on Tuesday:
State of emergency: “We are in the process of declaring a state of emergency in our regions, and we are awaiting the official issuance of decisions from the Supreme Council leadership.”
The biggest beneficiary: Ben Lasoud warned that the Houthi terrorist militias and their backers in Iran are the primary beneficiaries of this fragmentation. This is compounded by the targeting of southern forces.
Condemnation of the bombing: He renewed his condemnation of all strikes targeting the “people of the South” and their facilities, considering them a deviation from the basic course of the alliance.
The description of “unilateral aggression” and the end of the partnership
For their part, leaders in the Southern Transitional Council unanimously described the Saudi bombing in Mukalla as a “unilateral Saudi aggression.” They asserted that the use of air power against a field ally effectively ends what was known as the “Coalition to Support Legitimacy.”
The positions of the council’s leaders can be summarized in the following points:
Rejecting marginalization: Al-Alimi’s decisions and Saudi moves are an attempt to impose a political reality by force of arms in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.
Southern sovereignty: The ports and airports in the South are the sovereign right of its people. No regional party has the right to target them under any pretext.
Field deployment: Calls have been issued to all southern forces (the Giants Brigades, the Security Belt Forces, and the Elite Forces) to raise their combat readiness. This is in anticipation of any confrontation with the “Homeland Shield” forces, which Al-Alimi has ordered to be mobilized.
The anticipated field scene
With Sheikh Lahmar bin Lasoud threatening to declare a state of emergency, the southern public awaits an official statement from the head of the Southern Transitional Council, Aidarus al-Zubaidi. This statement will determine the next course of action: either de-escalation through international mediation or a move towards “comprehensive self-administration.” This decision would pave the way for a complete break from the government led by al-Alimi from Riyadh.
