AhlulBayt News Agency: On Sunday, Saudi forces deployed large military reinforcements to districts in Hadramout province, eastern Yemen, in a sudden move to strengthen the positions of the Riyadh-backed Dera al-Watan (Shield of Homeland) factions.
The reinforcements, which included dozens of armored vehicles arriving from the Sharura area through the Al-Abr crossing, coincided with the escalation of UAE-funded factions in eastern Yemen, reflecting the ongoing struggle for influence between the two sides in the provinces.
This deployment marks the beginning of a new phase of conflict after UAE-backed factions seized the camps of the Islah Party’s first military zone in Wadi Hadramout last week, taking full equipment without any resistance.
The developments raised questions about the situation in the two provinces, especially after the flag of the Republic of Yemen was lowered at the al-Wadiah border crossing with Saudi Arabia, now controlled by the Dera al-Watan factions, amid fierce competition between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi through local proxies.
In a related development, Emirati forces moved to send reinforcements from Hadramout to Mahra province, which borders Oman, while the Dera al-Watan factions suddenly and systematically withdrew from several Mahra districts without explanation.
Sources told the Yemeni Press Agency that the UAE is working to deploy its armed factions at the border port with Oman, taking advantage of the Saudi withdrawal. Leaks suggest secret understandings between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi aimed at undermining the Mahra tribes’ sit-in committee, led by Sheikh Ali Salem al-Harizi, which opposes foreign presence in the province.
The sequence of events—including Emirati control of the first military zone camps in Hadramout, Saudi withdrawal from Mahra, and heavy Saudi reinforcements—indicates possible coordination or prior agreement between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to reposition their factions instead of relying on pro-Islah forces in eastern Yemen.
The immediate objective of the Saudi reinforcements appears to be compensating the Dera al-Watan factions for losses in Hadramout and reaffirming Saudi presence in the province amid Emirati expansion.
These moves open the door to new tensions between regional powers, while provinces under Saudi-led coalition control in southern and eastern Yemen continue to suffer from divisions and direct American, British, and Israeli interventions tied to economic and military interests, far from peace.
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