On January 3, 2026, Yemen’s internationally recognized government announced that its forces had regained full control of the oil-rich southeastern province of Hadramout after a Saudi-backed military operation ousted fighters loyal to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) over the weekend. 🎉🔥
Government troops entered Mukalla, the provincial capital and a key port city, after sustained Saudi air strikes forced STC fighters to withdraw. Security forces are now patrolling the streets, securing state institutions from the airport to the governor’s office. ⛽✈️
In Seiyun, the province’s second-largest city, soldiers also reclaimed military sites and Seiyun airport, reversing STC gains made a month ago. Across the border in Al-Mahrah, STC units pulled out of Ghaydah airport and the presidential palace without fighting, local media reported.
Hadramout’s governor, Salem al-Khanbashi, urged residents to safeguard public and private property. “These facilities belong to the people of Hadramout,” he said.
The STC has not issued an official statement on its withdrawal but expressed willingness to join a Saudi-sponsored southern dialogue conference, calling talks “the only rational means” to address political issues. 🤝💬
Last Friday, hundreds of Saudi-backed troops advanced into Hadramout under intense air support. Local sources report more than 20 people killed and dozens wounded in the offensive.
The clashes come after the STC announced a two-year transitional administration for southern Yemen followed by a referendum on independence. Since seizing parts of Hadramout and Al-Mahrah, tensions with the government have escalated over control of territory and resources in these strategically vital areas.
Yemen has been at war since 2014, when Houthi forces took the capital Sanaa, triggering a Saudi-led intervention. The UAE-backed STC, formed in 2017, joined the Saudi-led coalition and the Presidential Leadership Council in 2022 but continues to push for independence in the south.
With Hadramout back under government control and dialogue on the horizon, Yemen’s complex conflict enters a new phase – one where politics, oil, and local aspirations intersect in unexpected ways. Stay tuned for more updates! 🌍🗞️
Reference(s):
Yemeni govt says its forces retake oil-rich Hadramout from separatists
cgtn.com
