Aden (South24 Center) 

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In a major development, at dawn on Thursday (December 4), the Southern Armed Forces assumed control of the Al-Ghaydah axis command, the 137th Infantry Brigade, and security points in Al-Mahra governorate.

The forces also took over the task of securing the Republican Palace in Al-Ghaydah, as well as Nishtun port, according to a report by the Southern Transitional Council-affiliated Aden Independent channel.

A security source told South24 Center that Al-Mahra's local authority ordered the withdrawal of all northern forces from military points and the Al-Ghaydah axis, assigning the Southern Military Police, led by Mohsen Marsa', to secure the locations. The source indicated the move aims to preserve the governorate's stability, with Southern flags raised over government facilities and security points in Al-Mahra following the takeover.

Activists circulated video clips showing the flag of South Yemen being raised over Al-Ghaydah International Airport. Sources also told South24 that South Yemen’s flags had been hoisted at the Shahn border crossing with the Sultanate of Oman.

#عاجل |
فيديو: رفع علم الجنوب فوق مطار الغيضة الدولي في محافظة المهرة#south24 pic.twitter.com/RBJRpnTh1d

— South24 | عربي (@South24_net) December 4, 2025

In a statement, the local authority in Al-Mahra Governorate said that the situation across the governorate remains normal and stable, with public services continuing uninterrupted. It urged citizens not to be swayed by rumors.

Later in the day, this Thursday afternoon, thousands of Mahri men and women gathered in Al-Ghaydah for a mass rally organized by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to mark the 58th anniversary of South Yemen’s Independence Day. 

#BREAKING
Video from South24 Center of the Al-Ghaydah celebrations in Al-Mahra for the November 30 Independence Day anniversary.#south24pic.twitter.com/HGSV904Y8T

— South24 | English (@South24E) December 4, 2025

During the rally, Sheikh Rajeh Bakrit, a member of the STC Presidency, said that matters have been “decisively settled” in Al-Mahra, affirming that security and stability are firmly established and that the governorate will remain safe and stable.

Sultan Abdullah Issa Al-Afrar, Chairman of the General Council of the People of Al-Mahra and Socotra, said that Al-Mahra is a fundamental pillar and a cultural gateway in shaping the national and social fabric of the South.

In a parallel development, Aden Independent announced that the Southern Armed Forces had taken control of the 23rd Mika Brigade in the Al-Abr area of Hadramout's desert, with footage showing forces celebrating inside the camp after securing it.

On Wednesday (December 3), the Southern Armed Forces announced their full control of the city of Seiyun, the center of Hadramout Valley, which had been dominated by the First Military Zone's forces, along with the rest of the valley's areas, as part of a military operation named "Promising Future."

Separately, the Hadrami Elite Forces regained control of the sites protecting oil companies on the plateau after armed men loyal to the former head of the Hadramout Tribal Alliance, Sheikh Amr bin Habrish, withdrew. In a statement on Thursday, the Second Military Zone said the Elite Forces had repelled a "failed attack" by the armed men at dawn and had since established full security over the locations.

Internal disagreements have also emerged among the leadership of Sheikh bin Habrish's tribal alliance regarding the agreement with the local authority, according to Aden Independent.

In a related and significant development, on Wednesday, the local authority in Hadramout announced that the head of the Saudi delegation had affirmed the Kingdom's support for the governorate's stability, announcing an agreement with Sheikh Amr bin Habrish to de-escalate and begin implementing withdrawal arrangements around the oil company sites.