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3d ago

Saudi Demands STC Pullback From Eastern Yemen as Separatists Allege Saudi Airstrikes

A joint Saudi–UAE team is pursuing redeployment to restore pro-government control of the seized eastern provinces.

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A mass rally organised by Yemen's Southern Transitional Council in Aden. Reuters
Yemenis members of the Sabahiha tribes of Lahj, who live along the strip between the south and north of the country and who support the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), hold an image of the STC leader Aidaros Alzubidi as they wave the old South Yemen flag, during a rally in Khormaksar Square, in the coastal port city of Aden, the temporary capital of the Republic of Yemen on December 14, 2025. The STC is part of the internationally recognised government, which is a patchwork of groups held together by their opposition to Yemen's Houthi rebels. The Houthis hold most of the country's populated areas, including the capital Sanaa, in the north and west of the country. (Photo by Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP)

Overview

  • Saudi Arabia labeled the Southern Transitional Council’s seizure of Hadramout and al-Mahra an unjustified escalation and urged an urgent, orderly withdrawal.
  • The kingdom said STC forces should return to prior positions and hand over captured camps to the National Shield Forces tied to the Presidential Leadership Council.
  • The STC, backed by the UAE, moved into the eastern provinces earlier in December, expanded operations into Abyan, and signaled plans aligned with a future southern state.
  • The UAE publicly praised Saudi efforts to stabilize Yemen as a joint Saudi–Emirati delegation continued talks in Aden to implement a pullback plan.
  • The STC accused Saudi forces of conducting airstrikes in Hadramout, a claim not acknowledged by Riyadh, while Yemen’s government and Hadramout authorities backed Saudi calls for withdrawal.