Yemens Hadramout to launch peaceful operation to reclaim military sites, says regions Saudi-backed governor

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A flag of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) flutters on a military patrol truck, at the site of a rally by STC supporters in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026. REUTERS/Fawaz Salman

DUBAI, Jan 2 - The Saudi-backed governor of Yemens Hadramout province said on Friday he would launch a peaceful operation to take back military positions from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, but that the actions were not a declaration of war.

The move marks the latest escalation in war-torn Yemen where a rift between Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who back opposing sides, has been playing out since December.

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said on Friday it had appointed Hadramout Governor Salem Ahmed Saeed al-Khunbashi to take overall command of the Homeland 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.

The operation targets military sites only and is not a declaration of war, it said.

The UAE backs the STC, which seized large swathes of southern Yemen last month from the internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia, which in turn saw the move as a threat.

The UAE last week said it was pulling its remaining forces out of Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a call for its forces to leave within 24 hours in one of the severest disagreements between the two Gulf oil powers to ever