South24 Center | Aden

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At least eight protesters were killed and more than 60 others injured in two separate incidents in South Yemen within nine days, as security tensions escalated in Aden and Shabwa amid widening political unrest.

In Aden, one protester was killed and around 20 others — including two children aged four and twelve — were wounded on Thursday, February 20, after security forces opened fire during a demonstration in front of the Maashiq Palace gate, headquarters of the newly formed Yemeni government. The incident occurred hours after the cabinet held its first meeting in the city.

Clashes erupted in the evening when some protesters attempted to approach the main gate of the compound. Medical sources confirmed that the injured were transferred to nearby hospitals. The Southern Transitional Council (STC) and rights organizations condemned the shooting, while Aden’s Security Committee described the demonstrators as “armed elements” attempting to storm the facility. Security authorities later launched an arrest campaign targeting STC leaders and local activists in Aden and Lahj.

The Aden incident followed deadly events in Ataq, Shabwa governorate, on February 11, where seven protesters were killed and approximately 43 others injured during a mass rally, according to medical sources. The STC accused the local Security Committee of storming the protest site and dismantling the platform. The UK-based organization Front Line held Saudi Arabia politically and legally responsible, describing it as the party “controlling the security landscape” in the area.

In Hadramout, the STC announced on February 6 that protesters in Seiyun were injured following attacks involving medium and light weapons. The Saudi-backed Hadramout National Council called for “firm” measures against demonstrators, accusing them of stirring unrest. The STC later reported the abduction of a rally organizer at dawn on Sunday, alongside the arrest of 24 individuals and raids on the homes of media figures, according to local outlets.

These incidents unfolded amid expanding protests across Aden over the past two weeks, particularly in the districts of Mansoura, Al-Mualla, and Al-Buraiqah. Large rallies were also recorded in Al-Dhalea, Shabwa, Hadramout, Al-Mahra, and Abyan. Participants raised South Yemen flags and images of STC President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, demanding the removal of what they described as “imposed forces” in Hadramout.

Militarily, sources reported that the commander of the Al-Aqroud front in Taiz survived an assassination attempt on Sunday, while an infiltration attempt by Houthi fighters northeast of the city was thwarted.

Security forces in Al-Mahra and Lahj announced the seizure of major drug shipments during the week, including nearly one million narcotic pills intercepted along Lahj’s coastline. The Interior Ministry also confirmed the arrival of hundreds of irregular migrants on the shores of Radum in Shabwa.

In Al-Mahra, Abdul Shakour Yahya — identified as a leader in Somalia’s Al-Shabaab movement — was killed on February 12 in a drone strike believed to be American, targeting a vehicle on the Al-Ghaydah corniche. Somali sources said he had links to Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, and the Houthi movement, and had obtained a Yemeni passport under the name “Abdul Qader” to facilitate his movements.

In Shabwa, special security sources told South24 that Saudi forces arrived at Murra camp and formally assumed control of the facility. The camp had previously housed Emirati forces before their withdrawal on January 2, following tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Yemen.

Saudi reconnaissance aircraft also conducted repeated flights over Al-Dhalea governorate during the past two weeks.

In a judicial development, a military court in Marib issued death sentences against hundreds of Houthi leaders on charges including rebellion and espionage. Authorities also announced the appointment of new leadership for the First Military Region in Wadi Hadramout.

Browse all weekly security developments on the interactive map below.