DID Press: Approximately 20,000 Saudi-backed troops have been deployed along Yemen’s southern borders to pressure the UAE-supported Southern Transitional Council (STC) to withdraw from recently seized territories in Hadramawt, Al Mahrah, and Abyan, According to The Guardian.
The STC, continuing its field advances, aims to strengthen its longstanding demand for a return to a pre-1990 two-state structure in Yemen. Riyadh’s orders for withdrawal have been rejected by the council.
The report notes that Saudi Arabia has warned of potential direct airstrikes if the STC does not comply. By controlling Hadramawt, Al Mahrah, and advancing into Abyan, the council now effectively holds key strategic areas in southern Yemen, including vital oil resources and ports.