Saudi Delegation Meets Hadhramawt Components as STC Forces Seize Control of Seiyun and the Presidential Palace
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Saudi General Mohammed Obaid Al-Qahtani, head of the Kingdom’s Special Committee on Yemen, held an extensive meeting on Wednesday with various Hadhrami components amid escalating tensions between the Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance and UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces.
The state-run Hadhramaut TV channel reported that a Saudi security and military delegation led by Al-Qahtani had arrived in Mukalla, broadcasting footage of the delegation’s arrival without providing further details about its specific mission.
These developments come as a Yemeni security source confirmed that STC forces have taken control of wide areas of Hadhramaut province in eastern Yemen, even as Saudi Arabia moves to contain the rapidly escalating tension.
The source told the German Press Agency (DPA) that STC forces had extended their control over several key areas, most notably the strategic city of Seiyun, the capital of Hadhramaut Valley, entering vital facilities including the presidential palace and Seiyun International Airport.
The source added that STC forces continue to advance across multiple parts of the province, while forces from the Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance remain stationed on the Hadhramaut Plateau, which includes major oil fields and the headquarters of the state-owned PetroMasila company.
Meanwhile, the STC announced that its forces had secured full control over Hadhramaut Valley, while its affiliated Aden Independent Channel reported that STC units had “liberated the areas of Wadi Hadhramaut with the blessing of its residents.”
Seiyun and other districts of the valley had been under the control of the First Military Region, aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government. However, the situation shifted rapidly in recent days as STC forces entered the province and tribal forces expanded their presence around oil fields, escalating the power struggle in Yemen’s largest and resource-rich governorate.
