Hadramout (South24 Center)

A soldier from Nation’s Shield (Deraa Al-Watan) forces was injured on Saturday, February 21, when an improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a military vehicle in Seiyun, Wadi Hadramout, according to local sources.

The sources said that the device detonated as the vehicle passed through Al-Suahil Street in the city center, wounding the driver with multiple injuries. He was subsequently rushed to a local hospital for treatment. The explosion also caused material damage to several civilian vehicles parked near the site, with no civilian casualties reported.

This incident comes after a similar attack on January 19 along the Al-Abar international highway, which resulted in the death of two soldiers and the injury of a third from the Nation’s Shield forces. Following that attack, the forces declared the desert areas on both sides of the highway a “restricted military zone,” banning civilian access as a precautionary security measure without providing further details regarding the specific nature of the threats.

Wadi Hadramout has been witnessing intermittent security tensions amid the deployment of multiple military factions.

Local sources noted that while Nation’s Shield forces have been subjected to repeated targeting operations recently, no similar attacks have been recorded against other units in the area, such as the Saudi-backed Northern Emergency Forces.

For years, Wadi Hadramout was under the control of the First Military Region, composed of northern brigades. However, the region recently underwent military shifts, including the “Promising Future” operation led by the Southern Forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

Although the Southern Forces secured Wadi Hadramout last December, they withdrew earlier this year following Saudi airstrikes. They were subsequently replaced by Nation’s Shield forces and Yemeni Emergency Forces.

Local residents point out that the period following the deployment of the Southern Forces did not witness such incidents, raising significant questions regarding the nature of the current security challenges in Wadi Hadramout.