News - Yemen: A British newspaper revealed on Saturday that Saudi Arabia has issued a stern warning to UAE-backed militias operating in eastern Yemen.

According to The Guardian, citing informed sources, Riyadh delivered an explicit threat to the Southern Transitional Council (STC), warning that airstrikes would target its forces if they failed to withdraw from eastern regions of the country.

The report added that Saudi Arabia has mobilized nearly 20,000 fighters loyal to it and deployed them to Hadramout governorate.

The warning reportedly followed a series of Saudi airstrikes accompanied by the dropping of smoke bombs on STC positions in the oil-rich plateau area.

The air raids coincided with the launch of a ground advance by the Saudi-backed “Nation’s Shield” militia, which moved into the Hadramout desert with the aim of seizing strategic sites and key supply routes in areas currently under the control of the STC.

Hadramout, Yemen’s largest governorate and a key hub for oil production and transport routes, has become a focal point of escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council. 

Despite both being part of the Saudi-led coalition, deep divisions have emerged over influence and control in Yemen’s eastern and southern provinces. 

#Yemen #UAE #STC #Hadramout #Saudi Arabia 25-12-21