South24 Center (Aden)

A security force entered parts of the Southern Transitional Council’s (STC) headquarters in Mukalla early Tuesday (August 25), according to STC officials, hours after an attempted storming and an overnight cordon of the building, in a new escalation of political tensions in Hadramout ahead of a mass rally planned for September 1.

The Executive Body of the STC’s Local Leadership in Hadramout said on Monday afternoon that a military force attempted to storm its headquarters in the Khalaf area of Mukalla and surrounded the building, describing the incident as a “dangerous escalation” and a direct targeting of peaceful political activity. One military vehicle remained outside the headquarters until the statement was issued later that evening.

Anwar Al-Tamimi, spokesperson for the STC, said the force consisted of three military vehicles and dozens of personnel. He alleged that members of the force took southern flags from the building’s guardroom after failing to break through the main gate, and warned against further attempts to enter the headquarters or arrest STC leaders and cadres.

However, the situation developed further during the night. On Tuesday, Ali Ahmed Al-Jafri, head of the STC’s Executive Body in Hadramout, said security personnel managed to enter several offices at dawn after the building had remained surrounded since Monday. He alleged that the force took flags and large display stands and removed the recording device for the headquarters’ surveillance cameras after breaking its protective enclosure. Other local reports also said security forces entered offices inside the building early Tuesday.

South24 Center could not independently verify all the details surrounding the raid or establish which security unit carried it out. No official statement from the Hadramout local authority or its security apparatus responding to the STC’s accusations had been identified by the time of publication.

The confrontation comes amid preparations by the STC in Hadramout for a large public rally in Mukalla on September 1 to mark the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Southern Army. The STC’s local leadership formally approved the rally on August 18 and said it would be held on the main street outside the governor’s palace.

The STC says the rally is also intended to express opposition to the policies of the local authorities, what it describes as political exclusion, the deterioration of public services, and the handling of the governorate’s affairs. In the days preceding Monday’s incident, STC officials had already warned that local security and military agencies could take measures to obstruct the September 1 gathering.

In its statement on Monday, the STC’s Hadramout leadership also said it had information about possible efforts to arrest its leaders and activists. It warned against the use of force or arrests and held the local authority and security and military agencies responsible for the safety of its members and participants in public events.

At the same time, the body urged supporters to remain calm and exercise restraint, stressing that the planned mobilization should remain peaceful and calling on media outlets and rights organizations to monitor any violations.

The latest incident adds another layer to a tense political and security environment in Hadramout following major shifts in control and influence since the beginning of 2026. Military developments earlier this year altered the balance of power across the governorate after Southern forces withdrew from key positions under military pressure, while government-aligned and Saudi-backed formations expanded their presence. The subsequent period has been marked by competing political mobilizations, disputes over security arrangements, and disagreements over the management of Hadramout’s resources.

A separate source of tension emerged again on Sunday (August 23), when the Al-Hamum tribes gave the Presidential Leadership Council and local authorities one week to remove what they described as obstacles preventing the return of Sheikh Amr bin Habrish Al-Alii and his accompanying delegation to Hadramout.

Bin Habrish is the First Deputy Governor of Hadramout and heads both the Hadramout Tribes Alliance and the Hadramout Inclusive Conference. According to a statement issued by the latter on July 23, arrangements had been made for him and his delegation to return through the Al-Wadiah border crossing from Saudi Arabia, but unspecified administrative procedures prevented them from completing the journey. The Al-Hamum statement on August 23 said the restrictions remained in place and warned that “all options” would be open if the issue was not resolved within a week.

Read more: Al-Hamoum Tribes Set One-Week Deadline Over Bin Habrish’s Return to Hadramout

The dispute over oil and resource revenues has further complicated the political landscape. On July 20, Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi announced that the authorities would work to resume oil exports, which have been largely halted since Houthi attacks on export facilities in late 2022.