Aden (South24 Center) 

Thousands of people gathered on Wednesday (December 31) in the city of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa Governorate in South Yemen, in support of Southern Government Forces and to condemn the Saudi airstrikes that targeted the Port of Mukalla in Hadramout Governorate, according to South24 Center’s correspondent.

The correspondent reported that crowds began arriving at the protest square early in the day, with participants continuing to pour in until the event commenced, amid a broad public presence representing various segments of society.

Participants raised the South flags, sang the South national anthem, and chanted slogans supporting the South independence and the continued presence and deployment of Southern Government Forces in the governorates of Hadramout and Al-Mahra.

#BREAKING

Thousands gather in the city of Ataq, Shabwa, calling for the declaration of the "South Arabia State"#south24 pic.twitter.com/IPnitIEOc0

— South24 | English (@South24E) December 31, 2025

Participants expressed their rejection of the Saudi airstrikes that targeted the civilian Port of Mukalla on Tuesday, which they considered an assault on a vital economic facility. 

The correspondent added that protesters reaffirmed their commitment to what they described as the "Southern political identity" and rejected any paths that undermine the people of the South’s right to self-determination, demanding the proclamation of the South Arabia State and restoration of the State.

Photos and videos broadcast by South24 Center showed massive crowds in Ataq, with a notable female presence. 

The Shabwa event follows a series of mass public demonstrations in the cities of Al-Ghaydah, Mukalla, and Seiyun in the governorates of Al-Mahra and Hadramout, aimed at supporting Southern Government Forces, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), and measures toward declaring the independence of the South Arabia State.