Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council on Wednesday said it had moved troops into the oil-rich, eastern province of Hadhramaut to confront a “rebellion” led by tribal forces demanding greater control over local resources.
“We are aiming at controlling all of Hadhramaut,” an STC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The National.
The STC, whose forces are allied with Yemeni government troops, said the rebellion is led by Amr bin Habrish, the province’s undersecretary. It said his men entered oilfields last week to demand greater control and revenue, forcing oil companies to halt operations.
“There is a rebellion, and we will crush it,” said the STC official. Government-backed forces have controlled the province for years.
On Tuesday, STC spokesman Anwar Al Tamimi accused Mr bin Habrish of aligning with extremist groups. “Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other armed groups are exploiting the vulnerability of the situation, allowing for infiltration and dire consequences,” he said.
STC forces are on “an official mission to secure this strategic area for the benefit of the province and to prevent the Houthis from exploiting it”, he added.
The chief of the Presidential Council, Rashad Al Alimi, warned that any escalation on the ground will “harm citizens, disrupt basic services and open the door to new security risks that must be avoided”.
He said the council and the government will work “responsibly with local authorities to stabilise the situation and support any genuine efforts to resolve internal disputes”.
Hadhramaut is Yemen's largest and most geographically diverse governorate. It stretches from the Arabian Sea in the south to the northern border with Saudi Arabia. It is a crucial land bridge connecting Yemen to Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Yemen was plunged into civil war after the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen in 2014, forcing the government to move south. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened the following year in an attempt to restore the government.
