Yemeni Government Defeats Separatists in Two Days, Regains Control Over South

After the withdrawal of United Arab Emirates (UAE) forces, Yemen’s internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched a swift two-day offensive, defeating separatists and regaining control over the south of the country.

Malek Alrougui, a journalist for Al Majalla, filed the report.

Government forces, with Saudi support, retook the Hadramaut and Al-Mahrah governorates within two days, pushing out units of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which had captured both provinces during a large-scale offensive in December 2025.

According to the journalist, this was the first major operation for the “Homeland Shield” movement, which is independent of political parties and reports directly to the president.

STC’s December Offensive and Rapid Government Counteroffensive

The internal conflict escalated on December 2, 2025, when STC units, supported by the UAE, launched a large-scale offensive aimed at establishing an independent state in southern Yemen. They quickly seized most territories previously held by government forces, including the oil-rich Hadramaut province bordering Saudi Arabia.

Areas of control in Yemen after the STC offensive, late December 2025. Green: Houthi territory; pink and blue: government; yellow and orange: STC. Infographics by Ali Zifan

The STC claimed the offensive was necessary to “restore stability” in the south. Presidential Council head Rashad al-Alimi condemned the action as a “coup,” warning that the STC’s separatist agenda threatens to split Yemen and destabilize the region.

In late December, Saudi Arabia launched an airstrike on the southern port of Mukalla, where the UAE had dispatched two ships carrying military equipment for STC forces. The strikes followed Saudi orders for the STC to withdraw troops from Hadramaut province. During a White House visit, the Saudi crown prince also raised concerns about the war in Sudan, where UAE support for rebels frustrated both Saudi and US officials. President Donald Trump later noted on social media that he would work with Saudi Arabia and the UAE to resolve the conflicts.

Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s foreign policy adviser, criticized what he described as harsh campaigns against the UAE, denying that his country initiated events in Yemen or Sudan. The UAE subsequently announced the withdrawal of its military units from Yemen after a “comprehensive assessment of recent events.”

Government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia and local Hadramaut tribes, launched a rapid offensive on January 2, 2026. They regained lost territory and recaptured areas previously occupied by separatists. As of January 4, only areas around the port city of Aden and the island of Socotra remain under STC control.

On January 3, Rashad al-Alimi reported that he had asked Saudi Arabia to host a forum to resolve the “southern issue.” Saudi Arabia agreed and invited the STC to Riyadh.

Southern Yemeni separatists welcomed the Saudi call for dialogue, calling it “a sincere opportunity for serious discussion” to safeguard “the aspirations of the southern people.” At the same time, the rapid government gains cast doubt on the STC’s plan to hold an independence referendum within two years.

Yemen has been embroiled in civil war since 2014. Alongside the internationally recognized government and southern separatists, significant portions of the country, including the capital Sanaa, remain under the control of Iran-backed Houthi forces.