Mukalla, Hadramout (South24 Center)

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Tens of thousands of Hadramout residents gathered on Thursday (April 24) to mark the ninth anniversary of liberating Mukalla and Hadramout Coast from the Al-Qaeda (AQAP), in a major rally organized by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) amid the rapid security and political developments in the governorate.

Hadramout First event to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the liberation of Mukalla and the Hadramout coast from AQAP. April 24, 2025 (South24 Center)

Delegations from across Hadramout converged on Freedom Square for the event, which a ‘South24 Center’ correspondent described as one of the largest gatherings in the governorate in recent years.

STC Vice President Major General Ahmed bin Brik, former governor of Hadramout and a key military leader in the 2016 liberation operation, addressed the crowd, stating: "This rally in Mukalla is pivotal. Hadramout – rich in resources – deserves better than being plundered."

Hadramout First event to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the liberation of Mukalla and the Hadramout coast from AQAP. April 24, 2025 (South24 Center)

Bin Brik warned against the newly-announced ’Liberation and Change Movement‘ in Wadi Hadramout, calling it "an extension of the Al-Qaeda and ISIS that we won't allow on our land." He urged prominent tribal leader Amr bin Habrish and all Hadrami tribes to unite behind the governorate's aspirations.

Addressing STC President Aidarous al-Zubaidi, bin Brik proposed naming the future state the "United Arab State of Hadramout" rather than "South Yemen" or "Arab South”. He emphasized modernizing the Hadrami Elite Forces with drones and military capabilities, noting that they would soon be deployed across the Wadi, Desert, and Coastal Hadramout regions.

Bin Brik criticized Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) for failing to deliver on the promised economic reforms and called on the Saudi-led Coalition to fulfill its Chapter VII obligations to provide services to the people.

Hours before the rally, the Hadrami Elite Forces held a military parade in Mukalla featuring dozens of armored vehicles flying South Yemen's flag. It was attended by bin Brik, STC National Assembly head Ali al-Kathiri, and other officials.

#BREAKING

Aerial footage of #Hadrami Elite Forces military parade marking 9th anniversary of coast liberation from AQAP#south24 pic.twitter.com/sNgo0JKEFy

— South24 | English (@South24E) April 24, 2025

Historical Context

The event commemorated the April 2016 UAE-backed operation where Hadrami forces, supported by airstrikes, expelled the Al-Qaeda (AQAP) from Mukalla after the terror group exploited Yemen's war chaos in 2015. Remnants of the group are believed to have retreated to Wadi and Desert Hadramout, areas patrolled by the 1st Military Region – a force largely composed of northern recruits from Houthi-held territories.