Saudi led strikes hit stc forces in Yemen

A video circulating on social media showed multiple explosions striking positions of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) near Sayoun in eastern Yemen, with local sources and security officials attributing the strikes to the Saudi-led coalition. Footage purportedly filmed in the Sayoun area depicted armed men sheltering behind makeshift trenches and sandbags as blasts produced thick smoke and flames. Saudi authorities have not issued an official account of the incident.

The strikes mark a significant escalation among factions nominally united against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement and come as Riyadh-backed forces moved to retake parts of Hadramawt from the STC, which receives backing from the United Arab Emirates. Local officials said the strikes targeted military positions and convoys of STC‑aligned units that had advanced toward zones held by forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Casualty figures were not immediately available.

Analysts interpret the operation as a Saudi effort to curb separatist advances that could destabilize eastern Yemen, an area that has largely avoided the full intensity of front‑line warfare. The intervention highlights deepening fractures within the anti‑Houthi camp: the STC, pursuing independence for southern Yemen, controls much of Aden and surrounding provinces and has seized territory in recent weeks, prompting a diplomatic and military rift between Persian Gulf partners.

The strikes risk disrupting fragile stability in parts of Yemen that had seen relative calm, raising concerns among local leaders and international observers about the potential for broader clashes between rival anti‑Houthi forces. Humanitarian actors warned that renewed infighting could further hamper aid delivery to communities already suffering from shortages of fuel, medicine and clean water. The United Nations continues to report widespread acute food insecurity across the country, and aid agencies say any fresh escalation will compound civilian hardship.

Diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire and revive political talks have so far produced limited results. Saudi Arabia has engaged in negotiations aimed at reducing cross‑border threats and stabilizing Yemen, but deep divisions among Yemeni factions, regional rivalries and an economic collapse continue to obstruct comprehensive settlement. Observers say the latest strikes near Sayoun underscore how regional backers’ competing priorities and shifting local alliances complicate peacemaking.