Aden (South24 Center)

Over the past 48 hours, the border areas between Hadramout in South Yemen and Saudi Arabia have witnessed a sharp escalation in military activity, particularly along the Al-Abr–Al-Wadi’a corridor. 

Reports indicate a significant deployment of the Saudi-backed Nation’s Shield Forces (Deraa Al-Watan), accompanied by the arrival of armed men from multiple governorates.

Local and media sources confirmed the presence of large contingents of the Nation’s Shield Forces around the Al-Wadi’a crossing and the 23rd Mika Brigade camp in Al-Abr. Video footage circulating online showed armed men arriving at facilities affiliated with these forces near the border.

According to several reports, the movements were not confined to local fighters. Armed groups from Saada and Al-Jawf, as well as other regions, were seen along the Hadramout–Saudi border. 

A circulating video shows Saudi-backed Yemeni gunmen arriving at one of the Deraa Al-Watan (Nation's Shield Forces) camps near the Saudi border
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Additional sources reported the positioning of fighters from Marib and Al-Jawf near Baqim district in Saada governorate, viewed as reinforcements for the Nation’s Shield deployment in Al-Abr.

These developments suggest a multi-directional mobilization that goes beyond routine redeployment, particularly as preparations and troop build-ups continue inside the 23rd Mika Brigade camp, a strategic hub on the international desert highway.

Meanwhile, local outlets reported the assembly of several brigades from the Nation’s Shield Forces and other Saudi-backed units in the Al-Abr and Al-Wadi’a areas. This comes amid heightened tensions in Hadramout following the “Promising Future” operation by the Southern Armed Forces, which secured the Wadi and desert regions.

Although no official confirmation has been issued regarding these mobilizations, their scale has raised concerns about potential military escalation against the Southern Armed Forces with Saudi approval. A military source, speaking to South24 on condition of anonymity, expressed fears of possible maneuvers by these forces through Al-Khasha towards Seiyun, the capital of Wadi Hadramout.

The mobilizations coincide with ongoing operations by the Southern Armed Forces targeting Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) elements in Wadi Sirr, between the districts of  Shibam and Al-Qatn in Wadi Hadramout, as well as in Abyan governorate.

The Southern Forces have named their campaign in Abyan “Operation Decisiveness,” aimed to complete “Operation Arrows of the East,” launched in August 2022, which achieved notable gains against AQAP strongholds in Abyan. This follows “Operation Arrows of the South” in neighboring Shabwa.

On December 6, Brigadier General Bashir Al-Subaihi, Commander-in-Chief of the Nation’s Shield Forces, visited several deployment sites in Hadramout, affirming the readiness of his units and noting that the deployment was carried out under directives from the senior leadership.

The Nation’s Shield Forces are local Salafi units composed mainly of fighters from South Yemen, with some contingents from the North. Established by Saudi Arabia in recent years, they were formally recognized on January 29, 2023, when Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi issued a decree granting them official status. The decision stipulated that the forces report directly to the Chairman, who determines their theater of operations.