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Saudi Strike on Mukalla Escalates Yemen Power Struggle

  • By Thetripurapost Web Desk, Sanaa
  • Jan 02, 2026
  • 652

Yemen’s fragile conflict has entered a new and volatile phase after Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on a base of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the southern province of Hadramaut, killing seven separatist fighters and injuring more than 20 others, according to local sources. The strike marks a rare and serious confrontation between Riyadh and a group backed by its long-time ally, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Yemeni government simultaneously announced that its forces had recaptured a strategic military base from the STC following ground operations. Hadramaut Governor Salem al-Khanbashi said government forces were acting to restore state authority and reclaim military installations seized by the separatists during their recent offensive.

Why Saudi Arabia Launched the Attack

Saudi Arabia claims the airstrikes were prompted by intelligence indicating that weapons and military vehicles were being smuggled into Yemen through Mukalla port, allegedly from the UAE’s Fujairah port, with vessel tracking systems switched off. Riyadh alleged that the arms were intended for the STC, which it now views as a direct threat to Yemen’s unity, stability, and peace process.

On Tuesday morning, Saudi warplanes bombed Mukalla port, describing the operation as a limited and targeted strike aimed at destroying weapons caches and military equipment. Saudi authorities later released video footage of the operation to substantiate their claims.

The strike on Mukalla is widely seen as a continuation of earlier warning airstrikes carried out in Hadramaut’s Wadi Nahab region, after Saudi Arabia warned the STC to withdraw from newly seized territories or face harsher military consequences.

Yemen Cancels Defence Pact With UAE

The fallout from the attack has been swift and dramatic. In response, the Yemeni government cancelled its defence agreement with the UAE, signalling a deepening rupture within the Saudi-led coalition. Authorities also imposed a 72-hour air, land, and sea blockade and declared a 90-day state of emergency to stabilise the deteriorating security situation.

Who Are the Southern Transitional Council?

The Southern Transitional Council (STC) is an armed separatist movement seeking to re-establish an independent South Yemen, reversing the unification of North and South Yemen that took place in 1990. Despite unification, southern grievances—political, economic, and cultural—have remained unresolved for decades.

Over the past month, the STC has launched a large-scale military campaign, capturing oil- and gas-rich regions such as Hadramaut and al-Mahra, forcing Yemeni government forces and local tribes into retreat. By mid-December, the group claimed control over several key energy fields and expanded its operations into Abyan province, where fierce fighting erupted in mountainous areas following a major offensive on December 15.

A Fragmented Battlefield

Yemen’s conflict is no longer a binary war but a multi-layered struggle involving rival armed factions, including:

  • Houthi Rebels (Ansar Allah): Iran-backed forces controlling large swathes of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

  • Yemeni National Resistance Forces: Oppose the Houthis and support the internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

  • Hadrami Elite Forces: UAE-supported units focused on combating extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda.

  • Southern Transitional Council: UAE-backed separatists seeking southern independence.

Why Saudi–UAE Relations Are Strained Over Yemen

Saudi Arabia and the UAE initially stood shoulder-to-shoulder when a Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to push back the Iran-aligned Houthis, who had ousted the Saudi-backed government the previous year. Over time, however, their strategic priorities diverged.

Analysts argue that the UAE has increasingly focused on controlling Yemen’s ports, coastlines, and key maritime trade routes, rather than restoring central authority. According to Sultan Barakat, professor at Qatar’s Hamad bin Khalifa University, the UAE’s strategy is aimed at ensuring regional port dominance, keeping Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port as the most powerful commercial hub in the region.

Roots of Yemen’s Civil War

Yemen’s civil war erupted in 2014, when Houthi rebels seized Sanaa and forced the government into exile. The conflict intensified in 2015 with the intervention of a Saudi-led coalition. Since then, hundreds of thousands have been killed, and nearly 80 percent of Yemen’s population now depends on humanitarian aid.

While political and regional rivalries drive the war, the conflict is also rooted in long-standing sectarian tensions, with Yemen’s population divided roughly into 65 percent Sunni and 35 percent Shia. According to the Carnegie Middle East Center, these tensions worsened during the Arab Spring in 2011, ultimately spiralling into full-scale civil war.