Overview
- Saudi warplanes hit positions held by the UAE‑backed Southern Transitional Council in Hadramaut shortly after the governor announced an operation to reclaim military sites.
- Strikes targeted areas around the STC‑controlled 37th Brigade at Al‑Khash'a as pro‑Riyadh units reported advances in northern Hadramaut near the Rub' al‑Khali desert.
- The STC said the attacks caused casualties, reporting seven dead and more than 20 wounded at Al‑Khash'a, figures not independently verified.
- STC leader Aidarus al‑Zubaidi announced a two‑year transitional period leading to a referendum on southern independence.
- Saudi coalition spokesman Turki al‑Maliki said naval forces are now conducting inspections along the Arabian Sea, while a CTS‑aligned ministry said flights to and from Aden were suspended under new Jeddah inspection requirements that Riyadh has not confirmed.