In a swift and decisive counteroffensive, Yemeni government troops supported by Saudi Arabia have reclaimed several strategic areas in the eastern province of Hadramawt from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), marking a dramatic reversal in the ongoing power struggle within Yemen’s fractured anti-Houthi coalition. The operation, which involved Saudi airstrikes and ground advances, has resulted in dozens of casualties and prompted calls for dialogue from regional powers.
The Yemeni presidency announced on Saturday that Saudi-backed forces had successfully retaken control of Hadramawt, Yemen’s largest and most resource-rich province, following intense clashes with STC fighters. This includes the key port city of Mukalla, the provincial capital, which had fallen under STC influence in recent weeks. The STC units retreated after heavy fighting, with Saudi-led coalition airstrikes targeting separatist positions in the port city and surrounding areas.
The offensive follows a period of rapid STC gains in late 2025, where UAE-supported separatist forces seized control of oil-rich eastern provinces, including Hadramawt and Mahra, from Saudi-aligned government troops. These advances, which began in early December, allowed the STC to control nearly 50% of Yemen’s territory and 80% of its oil reserves, escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, longtime allies in the Yemen conflict. STC forces had mobilised heavily in the region, capturing cities like Seiyun and key infrastructure such as presidential palaces and airports, often with minimal resistance.
However, the tide turned dramatically in the past week. Saudi jets conducted multiple airstrikes on STC convoys and camps, including in Wadi Nahab and Ghayl Bin Yamin, killing commanders and disrupting reinforcements. Dozens were killed in the clashes, with Saudi-backed National Shield Forces advancing into vacated positions as STC units withdrew from several areas in Hadramawt and redeployed toward Shabwa.
The UAE has urged restraint amid the offensive, which has pushed STC forces out of key areas, while signalling a potential withdrawal of its troops from Yemen entirely. In response, the STC has expressed openness to Saudi-led dialogue, welcoming offers for talks to resolve the southern battle. Yemen’s government has called for a Saudi-hosted peace summit involving the UAE and STC to address the conflict.
This conflict underscores the deepening fractures between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Yemen’s future. The Saudi-led coalition, formed in 2015 to combat the Iran-backed Houthis, has increasingly seen its members pursue divergent agendas. Riyadh supports the internationally recognised government for a unified Yemen, while Abu Dhabi backs the STC’s push for southern independence, the demand for the State of South Arabia to split from Yemen.
In the meantime, efforts for dialogue are underway, with Saudi Arabia positioning itself as a mediator.
