Armed clashes reported between Yemeni army and southern separatists

Yemeni troops battle with Southern Transitional Council forces in oil-rich Hadramout governorate.

Local sources have reported armed clashes between the Yemeni army loyal to the internationally recognised government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces during an attempt by the separatist group to advance towards the strategically located al-Ghuraf area in the oil-rich Hadramout governorate.

Videos posted by local activists showed STC forces storming the presidential palace building in the city of Seiyun in southern Yemen on Wednesday, following clashes with the army.

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The sources added that the STC forces were stationed in the Jathma area of ​​the Seiyun plateau, before they bombed the headquarters of the Yemeni army in the city centre.

According to local media, Wadi Hadramout has been witnessing large-scale military operations since Wednesday morning, accompanied by intense artillery fire.

The STC has previously called for the separation of the southern region from Yemen. It controls part of the south, including Aden.

The group on Wednesday referred to a “Promising Future” operation, which “follows the exhaustion of all options proposed in recent years to restore stability to the valley, end the state of security breakdown, and halt the exploitation of the region by forces alien to the valley [of Hadramout] and the governorate”.

A Saudi delegation has been negotiating an end to the fighting in Hadramout and has reportedly reached a settlement with the opposing parties.

Yemen has been plagued by a civil war and external interference for decades.

The Houthis, an Iran-aligned group, control much of Yemen’s populous northwest, as well as the capital, Sanaa. While the war they are fighting against the Yemeni government and other groups is largely frozen, it has gained international prominence for its attacks on Israel and shipping in the Red Sea since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023 in support of Palestinians under Israeli fire.

The United States and Israel have carried out deadly attacks in Sanaa, killing dozens of civilians and political leaders to counter Houthi attacks.

The Houthis have their own government based in Sanaa.