Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
A Yemeni security source reported on Wednesday that forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) have taken control of vast areas in Hadramawt Governorate, eastern Yemen, coinciding with the arrival of a Saudi delegation to contain tensions in the governorate.
The source told the German Press Agency (DPA) that STC forces have taken control of several areas, most notably the strategic city of Seiyun, the capital of Wadi Hadramawt and one of Yemen’s most important cities.
He added that the STC-affiliated forces entered various vital areas in the city, including the Presidential Palace, and secured control of Seiyun International Airport, which is one of Yemen’s most important airports.
The source indicated that the same forces continue to expand within the governorate, while forces of the Hadramawt Tribal Alliance remain stationed on the Hadramawt Plateau, where oil fields and the headquarters of the vital Petromasila oil company are located.
For its part, the STC, which demands the secession of southern Yemen from the north, confirmed that its forces have taken control of Wadi Hadramawt.
Aden Al-Estiklal channel, affiliated with the Council, stated that STC forces “liberated areas of Wadi Hadramawt with the blessings of its people.”
In a visit aimed at containing escalating tensions in the oil-rich governorate, a Saudi military delegation arrived in the city of Al-Mukalla, the capital of Hadramawt Governorate, on Wednesday.
The local Hadramawt government channel reported that a Saudi security and military delegation arrived in Al-Mukalla and was received by the Governor of the Governorate, Salem Al-Khanbashi.
The channel broadcast images of the Saudi delegation at Al-Rayyan International Airport in Al-Mukalla without providing further details.
A security source, who preferred not to be named, suggested that the Saudi delegation arrived to work on resolving the tense situation in Hadramawt.
The source did not address other details, while there was no immediate comment from Yemeni or Saudi authorities.
Seiyun and other districts in Wadi Hadramawt were previously under the control of the First Military District forces affiliated with the Ministry of Defense of the internationally recognized government.
For days, Hadramawt has witnessed significant tension following the STC’s deployment of multiple forces to the governorate, while forces of the Hadramawt Tribal Alliance announced their control over oil fields, as part of the power struggle in Yemen’s largest and wealthiest governorate.
