Yemen Monitor / Lahj / Exclusive:
The Ras Al-Arah area in the Al-Madariba district of Lahj Governorate (southwestern Yemen) has witnessed tension since yesterday between “Al-Amaliqa” (Giants) Forces, led by Brigadier General Hamdi Shukri, which are affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and funded by the UAE, and the “Dira Al-Watan” (Nation Shield) Forces, led by Bashir Al-Mudhrabi, which are affiliated with the head of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and supported by Saudi Arabia. This tension is occurring amidst a military mobilization by both sides and efforts by military leaders to contain the situation.
Field sources told “Yemen Monitor” that the tension followed the termination of the joint security campaign between the forces of the two parties, which was previously led by Hamdi Shukri, and the assignment of the campaign leadership to the Dira Al-Watan Forces led by Bashir Al-Mudhrabi, more than two years after its formation in August 2023.
The sources reported that the area witnessed a dispute over securing the coast stretching from Bab Al-Mandab to Ras Al-Arah. Hamdi Shukri allegedly tried to impose a fait accompli by controlling the coast and pushing the Dira Al-Watan Forces to take over the task of securing the mountains from the Al-Shatt area near Ras Al-Arah and the mountainous region extending to Al-Haymah Al-Mashawilah, which is part of Al-Waze’iyah district in Taiz governorate.
The sources added that reinforcements belonging to the Security Belt Forces, led by Waddah Omar Saeed, moved this morning from nearby areas towards Ras Al-Arah to support Hamdi Shukri’s forces, but the Dira Al-Watan Forces intercepted their path and prevented them from reaching the port.
The joint security campaign in Al-Madraba and Ras Al-Arah districts was formed to control smuggling operations. The campaign successfully seized numerous shipments of arms and drugs, as reported by Al-Amaliqa Forces Media Center. Ras Al-Arah Commercial Port is also located in the area. The Presidential decision on economic reforms had announced its closure, deeming it illegal, and in response to the decision, the district director ordered the closure of the port starting Thursday, November 6.
Information indicated that a number of senior military leaders, including the Commander of the Fourth Military Region, Major General Fadhl Hassan, arrived at Ras Al-Arah to oversee the demarcation of the lines of contact between the two forces, following the agreement to end the partnership in leading the joint security campaign in Al-Subaiha district.
Under the new arrangements, the leadership of the security campaign in the Al-Madariba and Ras Al-Arah areas was assigned to the Dira Al-Watan Forces led by Bashir Al-Mudhrabi, while the forces of Brigadier General Hamdi Shukri will manage the scope from Tur Al-Baha up to the Iron Factory border.
This development comes amidst escalating security tensions in the western coastal areas of Al-Subaiha, the region to which both Hamdi Shukri and Bashir Al-Mudhrabi belong. Each receives different support in what appears to be a struggle for influence over one of Yemen’s most important western coasts, which overlooks one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes and is close to the Horn of Africa.
It is worth noting that the Dira Al-Watan Forces are under the command of the Head of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, and receive support from Saudi Arabia, while the Al-Amaliqa Forces are under the command of PLC member Abu Zara’a Al-Muharrami and enjoy direct support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
