Yemen’s STC rivals say they seized Mahra governorate on the Omani and Saudi borders

The Southern Transitional Council had taken over Mahra and Hadhramaut last month

National Shield forces in Yemen's governorate of Hadhramaut, after seizing it from Southern Transitional Council forces. AFP

Yemen's National Shield forces said they had taken control of Mahra governorate, on the borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia, from their former ally in the anti-Houthi camp, the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

The STC, an umbrella group of powerful southern armed factions seeking to restore an independent southern state, took over Mahra and Hadhramaut from other pro-government forces last month, after what it described as the failure of other pro-government factions to launch a serious campaign against the Iran-backed rebels.

The move angered Saudi Arabia, which said it had not been co-ordinated with the anti-Houthi coalition that it has been leading in Yemen since 2015. It also angered Rashad Al Alimi, head of the ruling body, the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), who ordered STC rivals to take back the two governorates.

Yemen's STC welcomes Saudi Arabia offer to host talks

Read More

"The local authority in Mahra confirmed the successful handover of all military camps to the National Shield forces," Yemen's Saba news agency reported, two days after STC rivals took over Hadhramaut and its port of Mukalla.

Mr Al Alimi commended the operation of "re-establishing security and stability" in Mahra and Hadhramaut. He called on Yemen's political factions to set aside their differences and focus on state-building.

The fighting within the anti-Houthi camp threatens to open a window for extremist groups to exploit.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia said it accepted a request from Mr Al Alimi to hold talks in Riyadh and called on all southern factions to join the conference. The STC welcomed the step, and the UAE, a coalition member, urged de-escalation and constructive dialogue to resolve disputes.

Funeral prayer for fighters killed in battles against other anti-Houthi forces in south Yemen. Photo: STC

Meanwhile, UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg met Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo to discuss the situation in Yemen and the importance of a political solution to resolve the ongoing tensions.

"He briefed the minister on his recent engagements with Yemeni, regional and international actors and welcomed all ongoing efforts towards de-escalation," the UN said in a statement.

In a sign of growing US involvement in Yemen, senior adviser for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos said he met Mr Al Alimi and "discussed ongoing developments in Yemen affecting regional security and stability."

Mr Boulos also met Gen Tariq Saleh in Riyadh, the army commander said on X on Tuesday. Gen Saleh is a nephew of the late president Ali Abdullah Saleh and a member of the presidential council of Yemen.

Southern forces, mainly trained by the UAE, played a significant role in driving Houthi fighters out of south Yemen and fighting Al Qaeda and other extremist groups between 2015 and 2019. The STC later emerged as a political umbrella for many of the southern forces involved in those campaigns