Source: The Guardian [UK]
“As many as 20,000 Saudi-backed forces are gathering on the border of Yemen as the separatist Southern Transitional Council comes under pressure to withdraw from the huge territorial gains it has made in the last month in the vast, oil-rich governorate on Hadramaut in eastern Yemen. The STC is using its advance to raise its demand for Yemen to revert to two states, north and south, as it had been until 1990. The STC, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, has been warned there is a possibility of direct airstrikes by Saudi forces, a development that would threaten key STC positions. Well-paid troops, mainly drawn from a Saudi-funded militia called the National Shield, have been gathering in the al-Wadeeah and al-Abr areas close to the Saudi border. The STC has been reassured it retains the support of the UAE, raising the prospect of future clashes between troops loyal either to Saudi Arabia or the UAE.” (12/18/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/18/saudi-backed-forces-yemen-border-separatists-stc