Hadramout (South24 Center)

The Southern Government Forces announced the redeployment of several of their units in Hadramout Governorate under coordinated field arrangements carried out in cooperation with the Southern Nation Shield Forces. The move aims to secure Wadi Hadramout, enhance stability, and combat terrorism.

The official spokesperson for the Southern Government Forces, Colonel Mohammed Al-Naqeeb, said in a statement issued at dawn on Thursday (1 January) that units of the Southern Nation Shield Forces have begun assuming operational duties in Hadramout, with the deployment set to later extend to Al-Mahra Governorate as part of a coordinated redeployment plan.

Al-Naqeeb added that the First Nation Shield Brigade has redeployed to the Thamud area, with plans in place to reposition additional units in the Ramah area and other new locations in Hadramout and Al-Mahra. He noted that these steps are being carried out under directives from the political leadership and within the framework of positive engagement with the Saudi-led Coalition’s efforts.

In comments to Sky News, Southern Transitional Council spokesperson Anwar Al-Tamimi said that the inclusion of the Southern Nation Shield Forces alongside the Southern Government Forces falls within broader efforts to secure South Yemen and protect its borders with neighboring countries.

Al-Tamimi denied the existence of any disputes with the Southern Nation Shield Forces, noting that a joint operations room has been established to cut smuggling routes and secure vital areas.

The Southern Transitional Council has previously expressed, on several occasions, its support for coordination and joint deployment with the Southern Nation Shield Forces in Hadramout and Al-Mahra—an approach Saudi Arabia has been calling for since early December.

Photos shared by members of the Southern Government Forces on social media showed a meeting between the commander of the Nation Shield Forces, Major General Bashir Al-Subaihi, and Southern military leaders in the city of Seiyun.

Saudi Arabia has not yet issued an official comment on the Southern Government Forces’ announcement.

Later in the day, Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi held a meeting in Riyadh with several of his advisers, during which he warned against what he described as “circumventing sovereign decisions,” stating that such decisions were taken to protect citizens.

On 30 December, Al-Alimi adopted decisions described as unilateral and outside the consensus of the Presidential Council, including the declaration of a 90-day state of emergency across Yemen and a call for the Southern Government Forces to withdraw from Hadramout and Al-Mahra.

Since early December, Hadramout has experienced escalating military and security tensions following the launch of the “Promising Future” operation by the Southern Government Forces. The forces said the operation succeeded in securing the Wadi and Desert areas and expelling Northern forces affiliated with the First Military Region.

The Southern Forces also disclosed what they described as systematic oil looting in Hadramout through illegal refining facilities linked to influential figures from North Yemen, whom they said maintain ties with the Houthis and the Muslim Brotherhood.