ISTANBUL

Security authorities in Yemen’s oil-rich Shabwa province on Monday welcomed a commitment of the Saudi-led Arab coalition to maintaining stability in the area, which is controlled by the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

A statement by the Security Committee in Shabwa province said a meeting was held on Monday to discuss developments in the southeastern province.

The committee welcomed a pledge by the Saudi-led coalition not to allow any forces into the province without coordination with provincial authorities.

It stressed the unity and full integration of all military and security units in the province.

“All military and security units in the province fall directly under the command and directives of the governor,” the statement said.

The committee stressed that its current top priority is to protect the contact lines with the Houthis along Shabwa’s borders with Al-Bayda and Marib provinces in central Yemen.

The STC has seized control of Shabwa since August 2022 after clashes with government forces.

On Saturday, Shabwa Governor Awad bin al-Wazir said provincial authorities would work with the Saudi-led coalition to ensure stability in the province.

According to local media, the Yemeni flag was raised over the local authority building in Shabwa for the first time in years.

Last month, STC forces captured the eastern provinces of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra, before government forces managed on Sunday to regain full control of the two areas, which account for nearly half of Yemen’s territory and share borders with Saudi Arabia.

On Friday, STC head Aidrous Zubaidi announced a two-year “transitional phase” that would include dialogue with parties in southern Yemen and a “referendum” on the future of the south.

Last week, Saudi Arabia accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of “pushing STC forces to carry out military operations” along the kingdom’s southern border in Hadhramaut and Mahra. Abu Dhabi denied the accusation.

The STC says successive Yemeni governments have marginalized southern regions politically and economically and calls for secession. Yemeni authorities reject the claim and reaffirm their commitment to the country’s unity.