Yemen Monitor – Newsroom:
Forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Thursday seized sites responsible for protecting oil companies on the Hadramawt Plateau in eastern Yemen, following limited clashes with Tribal Alliance forces—and just one day after the announcement of a Saudi-brokered de-escalation agreement between the local authorities and the Hadramawt Tribal Alliance.
Tribal sources said that Hadramawt Protection Forces, affiliated with the Tribal Alliance, came under a large-scale attack by STC forces while they were carrying out a withdrawal from the oil installations in accordance with the truce agreement signed on Wednesday. The signing took place in the presence of a high-level Saudi delegation headed by the committee’s chief, Lt. Gen. Mohammed al-Qahtani.
According to the sources, STC forces launched the assault using an array of heavy weapons and drones, prompting the Tribal Alliance forces to retreat and allowing the STC to take control of the oil facilities operated by PetroMasila.
STC-affiliated media described the events as a “redeployment” of military forces around the oil companies, asserting that the group had established control over all points and positions. They justified the attack by citing “internal disputes” within the Hadramawt Protection Forces over implementing the agreement.
In contrast, the media center of the Second Military Region—run by a senior STC figure—offered a different account, accusing forces loyal to Sheikh Amr bin Habrish of attacking STC “Elite Forces” positions near the oil facilities, prompting the STC to repel the assault.
Forces of the Hadramawt Tribal Alliance, led by Sheikh Amr bin Habrish, had begun deploying at the oil installations on November 29 in response to an attack by STC-aligned Security Support Forces on their supporters, which left three of them wounded in Ghail bin Yamin north of Mukalla.
On Wednesday, cities across Wadi Hadramawt fell fully under STC control after limited clashes followed by a withdrawal of First Military Region units. Observers described the developments as a handover of Wadi Hadramawt to the STC, allegedly with the complicity of the Presidential Leadership Council.
