Yemen Monitor/ Newsroom:
The American Center for Justice (ACJ) has accused forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) of committing widespread violations, including arbitrary arrests, the looting of government facilities, commercial shops, and private homes, as well as targeting civilians based on geographic identity and detaining dozens in newly established makeshift prisons.
In a statement published Thursday, the center reported that 76 people were killed during the STC’s offensive on Seiyun and several districts in Wadi Hadramawt and al-Mahra, warning that the scale of violations accompanying the assault could fuel an expanding cycle of violence in the governorate.
According to ACJ, the preliminary death toll includes 34 STC fighters, 17 members of the Hadramawt Alliance, 24 personnel from the First Military Region, and one civilian, despite the initially limited extent of the clashes.
The center documented multiple raids by STC forces on government and military headquarters, as well as on political party offices. It also reported home invasions targeting officials and military personnel, the looting of their properties, intimidation of residents, raids on commercial shops and street stalls, and the opening of weapons depots that were subsequently left exposed to looting.
The center further warned of the rise in hate speech and regional incitement accompanying the attack, which has heightened community tensions in Hadramawt — a region that had largely remained distant from the conflict throughout most of the war.
ACJ stated that the events constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, calling on STC leadership to immediately halt the abuses, release detainees, allow an independent investigation, ensure the protection of civilians, and prevent the escalation of violence in Yemen.
