Seven dead, dozens wounded after fighting breaks out in Yemen’s Hadramout

Fighting erupted on January 2 in Yemen’s eastern Hadramout province, which borders Saudi Arabia, between forces loyal to the Saudi-backed local governor and fighters affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group.

The STC accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out air strikes against its positions near the border. According to Mohammed Abdulmalik, head of the STC in Wadi Hadramout and the Hadramout Desert, seven people were killed and more than 20 wounded when seven air strikes hit a camp in the Al-Khasah area, Al Jazeera reports.

Saudi-backed Hadramout governor Salem al-Khanbashi denied that the operation marked an escalation, saying efforts to retake military bases from the STC were intended to be carried out “peacefully and systematically.” In a statement issued on January 2, he said the operation aimed to restore security and prevent disorder, and was not a declaration of war.

Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Al Attab, reporting from Sanaa, said clashes were reported in areas along the Saudi border where STC forces are deployed. However, he noted that confirmation of developments on the ground was still pending and that initial information suggested STC forces had retained control of their positions.

The outbreak in fighting comes after Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said it ‍had appointed al-Khanbashi to take overall command of the National Shield forces in the eastern province, granting him full military, security and administrative authority in what it said was a move to restore security and order.

Earlier on January 2, the chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, formally appointed al-Khanbashi to command the Homeland Shield forces. Following the appointment, al-Khanbashi announced the launch of an operation to transfer separatist-controlled military camps to government authority.

By Sabina Mammadli