Yemen: Clashes in oil-rich Shabwa between Al-Islah and the STC forces

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Aug 11:52

The Shabwa Defense Forces, backed by the Giants Brigades, seize control of the Nada and Al-Mizan site, northwest of the Shabwa governorate.

Forces from the Southern Transitional Council in Shabwa Governorate

Media sources close to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council said that the Shabwa Defense Forces, backed by the Giants Brigades, tightened control over the oil and gas-rich Shabwa province.

Last week, clashes escalated near Ataq Airport and the government complex in the Shabwa governorate between Al-Islah party military forces and other Emirati-backed Southern Transitional Council forces according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent.

Our correspondent added that confrontations have been ongoing for three consecutive days between the Shabwa Defense Forces and the Giants Brigades, both of which are UAE-backed, on the one hand, and the Special Forces alongside the 21-Mika Brigade loyal to the Al-Islah Party fight on the other.

For his part, the UAE-affiliated governor of Shabwa, Awad Al-Wazir, announced the implementation of a counter-military operation to confront the military forces loyal to the Al-Islah Party, in order to "impose security and stability in the province."

The UAE-affiliated Southern Transitional Council said that "the Shabwa governorate is facing a military rebellion against the leadership of the local authority and the decisions of the Presidential Council," adding that "full support for the measures announced by the governor of Shabwa, including holding those involved in this coup accountable and referring them to trial for their betrayal of military honor and rebellion against their leadership."

It is worth noting that Muhammad Al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansar Allah's Political Council, told Al Mayadeen on Sunday that "enmity with Al-Islah party is not inevitable," and that "it can turn into an alliance because we are facing the same enemy."

On his account, the head of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mahdi Al-Mashat, considered on Monday that the US presence that was announced in Hadramawt is clear proof of what we said about the enemies' greedy ambitions in the country.

Al-Mashat stressed that American defensive weapons will not protect the Saudi and Emirati regimes from the strikes of the Yemeni missile and drone force.