Hadramout Tribal Alliance Seizes Al-Masila Oil Fields as “Barjash” Warns of “Unpredictable Escalation”
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Hadramout Tribal Alliance announced on Saturday that units from the Hadramout Protection Forces—its newly established military formation—have taken over security of the Al-Masila oil fields.
In an official statement, the alliance said the move aims to “enhance security and protect national resources from any attack or external interference,” stressing that the facilities are “a national asset under the authority of the legitimate state.”
According to the alliance, forces deployed across the fields have begun their duties without obstacles and that “the situation is under control, with company operations proceeding normally and at their usual pace.” It added that the reinforcements are operating “in coordination with the Companies Protection Command.”
The alliance emphasized that it “will not allow any acts of sabotage by any party.”
The announcement came just hours after tribal groups allied with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) convened in Ras Hawira, Mukalla, under the banner of restructuring the Hadramout Tribal Alliance, declaring the dismissal of Amr bin Habrish and appointing Khaled al-Kathiri. The move was widely described as an attempt to fabricate a parallel alliance in response to the original group’s growing influence against the STC’s agenda.
Major General Talib Barjash, commander of the Second Military Region, also appeared in a video accusing Bin Habrish of provoking an “escalation whose consequences will not be tolerated.” Barjash was seen attending the tribal gathering alongside the Hadramout Coast Security Director during the Ras Hawira meeting, which STC-affiliated media portrayed as a restructuring of the alliance’s leadership.
Coastal Hadramout is witnessing rising tensions between STC-affiliated support forces—backed by the UAE—and the Hadramout Tribal Alliance led by Bin Habrish, following limited clashes and a series of threats and accusations issued by Abu Ali Al-Hadhrami, commander of the STC’s Security Support Forces.
