Aden (South24 Center)

The Hadrami Elite Forces, affiliated with the Second Military Region, said on Wednesday (November 12) that they had thwarted an armed ambush by a tribal faction targeting one of their field patrols along the Ghayl Bin Yameen-Al-Akedah route in western Coastal Hadramout.

An armed group affiliated with tribal influencer Salem Al-Gharabi was behind the attack, the Second Military Region’s media center said in a statement.

It said the armed tribal group intercepted the military patrol and opened fire, leading to a brief clash that resulted in injuries to three attackers and the arrest of several others, while the remainder fled to neighboring areas.

Pursuit operations were undertaken to track down those involved and seize the weapons used, the statement added.

Salem Al-Gharabi is considered one of the most controversial tribal figures in the region. Over the past two years, he has led protests against the establishment of new military camps along the coastal strip between Qusay'er and eastern areas.

According to security and local sources, he is reported to have received support from tribal leader Ali Salem Al-Harizi, based in the neighboring Mahra Governorate, who is known to have ties with the Houthi group, as well as logistical support from Oman.

Sources told South24 Center that Al-Gharabi has coordinated in recent months with tribal and military figures in the Hadramout Plateau as part of movements reportedly aimed at forming a parallel force outside state authority. The source added that the recent ambush was directly linked to these activities. 

The Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Hadramout strongly condemned the attack on the Hadrami Elite Forces, terming it "a treacherous act targeting the security and stability of the province”.

In a statement, it called on the authorities to quickly pursue those involved in the attack and bring them to justice. The STC also stressed its full support for the Hadrami Elite Forces as the regular force concerned with protecting Hadramout and its coast.

The Council reiterated its categorical rejection of any armed formations outside the framework of the elite forces, stressing that such movements represent a direct threat to the security and stability of the province. The Council warned that "Hadramout’s security is a red line”, and that the STC will not allow any party to try to destabilize or harm it under any justification.

The attack comes two days after security tensions erupted in the Rasb area of the Hadramout Plateau, where an armed tribal group intercepted fuel tankers destined for power stations in the coastal part of the governorate. The incident resulted in injuries to two civilians during limited clashes with the Elite Forces tasked with protecting the tankers.