ADEN (South24)

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The battlefronts in South Yemen witnessed a notable escalation between May 2 and 14, 2026, marked by clashes and reciprocal attacks between the Southern Forces and the Houthi militia. The confrontations resulted in the killing of three Southern soldiers and the injury of nine others, amid significant security and political developments, most notably a new prisoner exchange agreement reached in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

According to data documented by South24 Center over the past two weeks, two Southern soldiers were killed and another injured on May 8 during direct confrontations with the Houthis on the Dhalea front. Six more soldiers were wounded on May 9 after a Houthi drone targeted the Al-Fakher front north of the governorate.

In Lahj governorate, fierce clashes erupted between the Southern Forces and the Houthis on the Hadd front in Yafea on May 10 and 11, leaving one Southern soldier injured. Meanwhile, the Southern Forces announced the killing of four Houthi fighters during confrontations on the Batar front northwest of Dhalea, amid continued Houthi shelling on agricultural areas.

In Shabwa, a soldier from the Shabwa Defense Forces was killed and another injured in a Houthi drone strike targeting positions of the SDF on the Harib front south of Marib.

The period also witnessed notable security developments, including the announcement by the National Resistance Forces of the killing of a Houthi commander and several of his escorts in strikes south of Hodeidah, following Houthi shelling that targeted civilian areas.

On the prisoners’ file, the United Nations and Yemeni parties announced on May 14 the signing of an agreement in Amman between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, under UN sponsorship and with the participation of Saudi representatives, to release around 1,728 detainees from both sides, including coalition soldiers, politicians, and journalists. According to a Houthi official, the agreement includes the release of 1,100 Houthi prisoners in exchange for 580 government detainees, in addition to seven Saudi prisoners and 20 Sudanese detainees.

Local media reports circulated claims that individuals convicted in the assassination case of Southern military commander Major General Thabet Mathna Jawas could be included in the current or future prisoner exchange deals. Jawas was killed in a car bombing in Aden in March 2022, and four defendants, including wanted commander Amjad Khaled, were sentenced to death in November 2024.

South24 Center could not independently verify the claims. Majed Fadael, a member of the government negotiating team, told South24 that he lacked details on the names included, but noted that “all those detained in relation to the events from all parties will eventually be released.”

South24 also contacted the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen for clarification but received no response before publication.

Other security incidents also emerged during the period, including the hijacking of the oil tanker “MT Eureka” off the coast of Shabwa, amid official accusations of coordination between the Houthis and armed networks in the Horn of Africa. Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi spoke of links between the Houthis and terrorist networks allegedly behind the operation.

In Aden, the killing of Acting Director of the Social Fund for Development, Wissam Qaed, drew widespread attention after his body was found hours after his abduction. Reports indicated that he had received threats linked to his previous work under Houthi control and the relocation of the Fund’s headquarters from Sanaa to Aden.

Several governorates also recorded other security and military incidents, including smuggling operations, local clashes, explosions caused by remnants of war, and security campaigns carried out by the Southern Forces against extremist elements and armed cells.

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