Mukalla, Yemen – The past few hours have witnessed the most dangerous military escalation of its kind in Hadramawt Governorate. Simmering tensions have erupted into open confrontation, including intense airstrikes and fierce ground clashes. Amidst this, the Southern Transitional Council has declared a state of maximum alert and general mobilization for decisive action.
Air raids and accusations of “misinformation”
In a significant development on the ground, Aden Independent TV confirmed that Saudi warplanes launched a series of airstrikes. These strikes targeted positions held by southern forces in the province.
In response, Amr al-Bayd, the Special Representative of the President of the Southern Transitional Council for Foreign Affairs, launched a scathing attack on Riyadh, accusing it of misleading the international community. In a post on the X platform on Friday, al-Bayd stated, “Saudi Arabia misled the world by announcing a peace process that it never intended to maintain.” He added that the launch of seven airstrikes proves that claims of de-escalation are “hollow claims, and actions definitively prove the opposite.”
Ben Brik announces mobilization: “The Battle of the Oil Pipelines”
On the ground, Major General Ahmed Saeed bin Brik, Vice President of the Southern Transitional Council, issued an urgent appeal to the people of Hadramawt, both in the valley and along the coast, calling on them to rally around the Hadrami Elite Forces.
Bin Breik stated firmly, “Their goal is to regain control of Hadramawt’s oil pipelines and reoccupy the valley. You must cut off their arms and teach them lessons they will never forget.” He also called on the Southern leadership to declare a general mobilization to confront what he described as “the impending invasion,” asserting that victory would belong to the rightful owners of the land and its resources.
Conflict map
These developments come after the detection of movements by northern forces (emergency forces) coming from Marib. They clashed with southern forces in the contact zones of Khash’ah and Khashm al-Ayn. Observers believe that the introduction of air power into the conflict represents a dangerous turning point in the relationship between the Southern Transitional Council and the coalition. It also portends a full-scale military escalation that could extend its effects to all southern governorates.
