Aden (South24 Center)

---

A field committee affiliated with the Yemeni Ministry of Defense began its duties on Tuesday (April 21) in the Al-Khashaa area of Wadi Hadramout, overseeing the reception and reassembly of soldiers and officers from the 37th Armored Brigade and the 35th Mountain Infantry Brigade, along with personnel from the First Military District, most of whom originate from northern governorates.

According to military sources, this step comes as part of arrangements to reorganize these units, whose members hail from the Houthi-controlled governorates of Sanaa, Amran, Hajjah, and Dhamar, amid indications of plans to redeploy them across various areas of Wadi Hadramout in the coming period.

Forces of the First Military District are among the most prominent military formations that have been stationed in Wadi Hadramout since before 2015, maintaining their presence throughout the years of war without direct engagement in major frontlines, which has made them a subject of widespread debate regarding their role and security function.

In 2015, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula seized the city of Mukalla and the Hadramout coast without confrontation with the northern forces deployed there, rapidly taking control of the city and its key institutions. This continued until April 2016, when Southern Forces backed by the UAE recaptured the city in a swift military operation.

The current move follows months of military developments in Hadramout, where these northern units had withdrawn in December 2025 following the “Promising Future” operation launched by the Southern Forces, which resulted in securing the Wadi and Desert regions and uncovering files related to corruption and the looting of oil resources.

Over recent years, popular demands have escalated in Wadi Hadramout calling for the removal of First Military District forces, as they are viewed as non-local, alongside repeated calls to replace them with Southern Forces to enhance security stability.

In a related development, the First Military District said in an official statement that its Operations Chief, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Omar bin Ghanem, inspected the Ministry of Defense committees tasked with force enumeration at Al-Suwairi camp in Seiyun. The visit aimed to review the progress of work and implementation mechanisms in the field.

The statement added that the visiting official was briefed on the procedures being followed and the tasks completed so far, stressing the importance of accuracy and discipline in carrying out the mission in a way that enhances organization and raises the level of readiness. He also emphasized the need for coordination and teamwork to ensure the success of the process.

In a related context, Rajeh Bakrit, former Governor of Mahra and a member of the Southern delegation in the Riyadh consultations, said that Mahra governorate “will not accept being subjected to the Houthis through their local tools,” reflecting concerns over potential security shifts in the province.

He added that Mahra is witnessing a rapid deterioration in basic services and a worsening salary crisis, along with rising indicators of security breakdown, including recent cases of mysterious killings and kidnappings.

Bakrit criticized what he described as “unjustified silence” by some local components, questioning the decline in the positions of the so-called “Sit-in Committee” led by Ali Salem al-Huryzi, despite the worsening situation.

Yemeni Defense Minister Taher Al-Aqili had visited Hadramout in late March, where he met with Governor Salem al-Khanbashi, who is also a member of the Presidential Leadership Council.

The visit coincided with measures that included the dismissal of around 1,500 Southern officers and soldiers from the Barasheed Combat Brigade, which had been deployed in Mukalla and along the Hadramout coast since 2016 after playing a key role in operations against Al-Qaeda.

Read more at: Anti-AQAP Barshid Brigade Faces Mass Demobilization in Hadramout

Al-Aqili described the brigade as “an outsider force in Hadramout,” a statement that sparked widespread criticism in Southern circles.