ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Forces aligned with Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) entered the city of Seiyun in the southeastern Hadramout province on Wednesday after clashes with pro-government units, a security official told Xinhua.
The official, speaking anonymously, said STC fighters breached defenses held by the pro-government 1st Regional Military Command and advanced into the city as government forces withdrew from checkpoints.
The official said the STC is preparing to declare full control over Seiyun, including its airport and government compound.
He said STC units have also expanded their presence in desert areas between the southeastern province of Shabwa and the central province of Marib, seizing the strategic Arin military camp.
Meanwhile, residents reported seeing STC military vehicles in neighborhoods and hearing explosions and gunfire.
There has been no immediate comment from the Yemeni government regarding this development.
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014 when Houthi forces seized control of Sanaa and much of the country's north, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in support of the internationally-recognized government in 2015.
The STC is a political and military organization based in southern Yemen, established in May 2017 to advance the self-determination and eventual independence of the region.
Although joining the Saudi-led coalition and integrating into the Presidential Leadership Council, the executive body of the internationally-recognized government, since 2022, the STC maintains demands for southern sovereignty, leading to recurrent clashes with the government over power-sharing and resource control. Enditem
京公网安备 11010802027341号