Aden (South24 Center)

---

The Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Shabwa governorate, South Yemen, warned on Sunday (March 29) of the repercussions of military arrangements involving the withdrawal of Southern forces from frontline positions facing Houthi militias in the governorate.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Executive Body of the STC Local Leadership in Shabwa considered this move a "direct threat" to the field situation on one of the longest contact lines with Iranian-backed militias.

The statement noted that the STC in Shabwa is following with "great concern and strong condemnation" the decision to appoint Abdulkarim al-Ghunaimi al-Muradi, originally from Marib governorate [North Yemen], as Chief of Staff of the 3rd Brigade of the Shabwa Defense Forces, alongside what it described as the "decision to transfer Southern forces out of Shabwa governorate."

The statement added that these measures are "rejected" and represent a provocation to the people of the governorate and the South in general.

The STC pointed out that Shabwa is "not devoid of military cadres," referring to the appointment of a military leader from outside the governorate. It also questioned the objectives behind these military movements while confrontations with the Houthis continue along the northern and western fronts of the governorate.

The statement held the so-called "Saudi-backed de facto government" responsible for any field and security repercussions resulting from these decisions. It warned that any weakening of the Southern front in Shabwa could allow the Houthis to reposition or exploit any potential vacuum in the combat lines.

Concurrently, a military source told South24 Center that the Southern forces referred to in the STC statement "are likely the Southern Giants Forces that withdrew from the Harib front." The source added that the Shabwa Defense Forces took over those military sites in recent days under the supervision of Saudi officers at the Murra military base in Shabwa, which Saudi forces had recently taken over from Emirati forces weeks earlier.

The source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the ongoing arrangements, added that the Southern Giants Forces possess "exceptional combat experience in confronting Houthi militias."

"While the Shabwa Defense Forces are known for their security character more than being a specialized field offensive force for open-front warfare," the source noted, explaining the escalating state of concern over these arrangements.

The source indicated that the actual reasons behind the withdrawal of the Giants Forces from the Harib front remain unknown. However, he noted that the move is part of a series of field measures recently supervised by Saudi Arabia in several southern regions in the context of rearranging military deployment.

Opposition was not limited to the STC leadership in the governorate's center; STC bodies in several districts of Shabwa issued simultaneous statements expressing their rejection of these arrangements, describing them as "unilateral decisions" that could spark widespread public discontent.

This development gains particular sensitivity in Shabwa, given the governorate's symbolism in the war against the Houthis. It served as one of the most prominent arenas of military transition in early 2022 when the Southern Giants Forces launched Operation "South Tornado" to reclaim western districts from Houthi control.

At that time, Operation "South Tornado" represented a major field turning point, as it re-established Southern defense lines and restricted Houthi movement and supply routes.