Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia have retaken large parts of eastern and southern Yemen, reversing recent gains by the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council and intensifying a power struggle within the anti-Houthi alliance.
Officials said the operation restored government authority in strategically significant areas bordering Saudi Arabia, while clashes elsewhere underscored the fragility of the country’s political arrangements.
The internationally recognised government said its Homeland Shield forces regained full control of Hadramout and al-Mahra, Yemen’s largest governorates by territory.
The operation included the recapture of Mukalla, the capital and main port of Hadramout, which the STC had seized last month.
Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, described the advance as “record success” in retaking military and security positions near the Saudi border.
Local officials reported that STC units withdrew from all districts of al-Mahra, allowing government authorities to resume administrative functions.
Residents in parts of Hadramout said daily life was gradually returning to normal, with state institutions restarting operations in some cities.
Saudi airstrikes supported government advances, according to accounts from both sides, highlighting Riyadh’s role in the latest phase of the conflict.
Fighting and political friction have persisted around Aden, the STC’s main stronghold and Yemen’s interim seat of government since 2015.
Government officials accused the STC of restricting civilian movement into the port city and detaining travelers, including families and people seeking medical care.
The STC denied the allegations, saying conditions in Aden were stable, while Reuters said it could not independently verify the claims.
A senior government official said forces would continue advancing toward Aden and that talks would begin only after the city was secured.
Clashes have resulted in heavy casualties, with an STC official telling AFP that dozens of its fighters were killed or wounded and others captured.
Flights at Aden International Airport partially resumed after a temporary shutdown, though disruptions continued elsewhere, including reported diversions to and from the island of Socotra.
Saudi Arabia has offered to host dialogue among southern factions, an initiative welcomed by the STC and seen by officials as a possible path toward easing the latest crisis.