Southern Transitional Council Withdraws from Areas in Northern Hadhramaut
Following a warning message from Saudi authorities to the Southern Transitional Council and the flight of Saudi army Apache helicopters over the northern desert of Hadhramaut province, southern fighters pulled back from the al‑Abr–Khasha road and the al‑Khasha area, handing these positions over to Al‑Dara‘ al‑Watan forces.
In addition to this withdrawal, the Southern Transitional Council has issued directives to prepare for an exit from the Hadhramaut Valley and to transfer control of the area to the Saudi-backed al‑Dara‘ al‑Watan forces.
As expected, Saudi warnings prompted the southern forces to retreat from their recent advances in Hadhramaut and to hand over the valley to Saudi‑aligned factions. However, the withdrawal process is still in its early stages, and it remains unclear how far the retreat—or the tensions between Emirati‑backed and Saudi‑backed groups—will go.
It appears the southern forces, through cautious and calculated maneuvers, are seeking to secure a larger share of Hadhramaut’s oil wealth and intend to continue these moves as long as possible.
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