Armed clashes reported between Yemeni army and southern separatists

In an effort to advance towards the strategically located al-Ghuraf area in the oil-rich Hadramout governorate, local sources reported armed clashes between the Yemeni army loyal to the internationally recognized government and STC (Second).

Following clashes with the army, STC forces stormed the presidential palace building in Seiyun, southern Yemen, on Wednesday, according to videos posted by local activists.

The sources added that the STC forces were stationed in the Seiyun plateau’s Jathma neighborhood before they bombed the city center’s Yemeni army headquarters.

Since Wednesday morning, Wadi Hadramout has been the site of significant military operations, which have included intense artillery fire, according to local media.

The STC has previously requested that Yemen’s southern region be separated. Its southern province, including Aden, is under its control.

A “Promising Future” operation, according to the group on Wednesday, “follows the exhaustion of all options proposed in recent years to restore stability to the valley, end the state of security breakdown, and stop the region’s exploitation by forces alien to the valley]of Hadramout] and the governorate.”

A Saudi delegation has reportedly reached a settlement with the opposing parties while negotiating a resolution to the conflict in Hadramout.

For decades, Yemen has experienced internal conflict and external interference.

The Houthis, an Iran-aligned group, own the majority of Yemen’s largely populated northwest and Sanaa, its capital. Since Israel started its genocidal war against Gaza in October 2023 in support of Palestinians who were being shot down by Israeli forces, Yemen’s government and other groups have largely frozen war. However, it has gained international notoriety for its attacks on Israel and shipping in the Red Sea.

In Sanaa, dozens of civilians and political figures have been killed in deadly attacks by the US and Israel.