Hadramout (South24 Center)

The Yemeni Emergency Forces said on Tuesday (January 27) that they had completed the handover of all their camps and sites in Hadramout Governorate to the Nation’s Shield Forces (Deraa al-Watan), as part of an operation that included sites stretching from al-Kharkhir to al-Abar (Hadramout Wadi and Desert). 

The forces added in a statement that the handover process took place “completely,” without specifying an additional timeline or clarifying the nature of subsequent security arrangements.

The announcement came days after news of partial withdrawals from various sites in Wadi Hadramout, which left ambiguity regarding whether the withdrawal process was carried out in full stages or on a limited scale. 

Earlier the same day, local media outlets published a video clip showing the start of the process of handing over the camps of Rumah District in Wadi Hadramout to the Nation’s Shield Forces, as part of successive phases of the Emergency Forces' withdrawal from their positions.

#BREAKING

VIDEO: The Northern Emergency Forces state they have begun handing over camps in the Rumah district of Wadi Hadramout to the Nation Shield (Deraa Al-Watan) forces#south24 pic.twitter.com/VZ0aoM7UB8

— South24 | English (@South24E) January 26, 2026

On January 25, the Nation’s Shield Forces announced they had taken over the al-Kharkhir border site with Saudi Arabia and its camps from the Yemeni Emergency Forces, in the first official announcement of the transfer of border sites to their control.

 This was preceded, on January 24, by the circulation of video clips said to document the departure of part of the Emergency Forces from several sites they controlled in Wadi Hadramout, coinciding with the announcement by the commander of the 7th Brigade of the Nation’s Shield Forces regarding the takeover of the al-Adwas, Haswin, and Ras Huwaira checkpoints.

In a related context, the Hadramout National Council said in a statement issued on January 23 that the Emergency Forces had begun handing over their sites to the Nation’s Shield Forces, a step it said came in response to popular demands within the governorate.

On January 24, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Hadramout issued a statement condemning the detention of participants by the Emergency Forces while returning from an event in Mukalla at the al-Gharf checkpoint in Wadi Hadramout, and the confiscation of their property. 

The STC held the local authority and the Emergency Forces responsible for the safety of their supporters, demanding their release. 

On the same day, a mass rally at Mukalla demanded the exit of Northern forces from Hadramout Governorate. 

It also announced support for the Southern Transitional Council and its rejection of the dissolution decision issued from Riyadh.

The Yemeni Emergency Forces are known as a military formation with a Salafi character, consisting mostly of fighters from Northern Yemen. They receive training and support from Saudi Arabia and are primarily deployed along the border strip between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. These forces consist of several divisions, each including a number of brigades, according to military sources.

In early January, the 3rd Division of these forces participated in the operation to take control of Hadramout, following airstrikes carried out by Saudi aircraft targeting Southern forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council, which led to the latter’s withdrawal from Hadramout and Al-Mahra at the time.

The nature of the Emergency Forces' connection to the structure of the Yemeni Ministry of Defense and the internationally recognized government is not fully clear. 

The forces' statement announcing the completion of the withdrawal included religious terminology such as “Mujahideen” and described the Southern forces as “separatists,” which raises doubts about their doctrine and ideology.