Saudi Arabia launches powerful air strikes in Yemen’s Hadramout region

The Chronify

December 27, 2025

Saudi Arabia has launched airstrikes in Yemen targeting southern separatist forces, who have accused Riyadh of carrying out the attacks. The strikes came a day after Saudi Arabia urged the separatists to withdraw from areas they had recently seized, a call they ignored.

Saudi warplanes later bombed those locations. Saudi Arabia remains the main backer of Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The latest strikes have raised fears of renewed tensions in the country, although no immediate casualties were reported.

Yemen has endured years of instability, with a conflict involving regional powers including Iran and Saudi Arabia. The country’s government is a coalition of several groups, including the separatists themselves.

According to the separatist-linked Aden Independent outlet, Saudi airstrikes targeted positions of the Hadrami Elite Forces in Wadi Nahb, Hadramout. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) also confirmed that two air raids hit the area.

Earlier this month, separatist forces took control of parts of Hadramout and Mahra provinces. Since then, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have sought to reinforce security and stability in the region.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the advance of the STC risks deepening divisions and escalating regional tensions, cautioning that a renewed conflict could seriously threaten regional peace and security.