SANAA, Yemen / ISTANBUL 

Yemeni government forces regained control of several key military positions in the eastern province of Hadhramaut on Friday as forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) withdrew from major sites, according to local authorities and state media.

Hadhramaut Governor Salem Al-Khanbashi said the Nation’s Shield Forces captured the Brigade 37 camp in the Al-Khashaa area, north of the province, the state-run Yemen TV reported.

No further details were given about the takeover.

The camp is considered one of the most strategic military installations in Hadhramaut.

The television also reported that STC forces had withdrawn from the headquarters of the First Military Region in the city of Seiyun, one of the most important military sites in Hadhramaut.

“Residents of Hadhramaut entered the First Military Region headquarters simultaneously with its fall and the withdrawal of STC forces,” the broadcaster said.

The First Military Region headquarters was captured by the STC forces last month.

The same source said STC forces also pulled out from the Al-Safaq military checkpoint in the Rakhyah district of Hadhramaut’s Wadi region, adding that the withdrawal followed the advance of the Nation’s Shield Forces and their takeover of Brigade 37 camp.

The Al-Safaq checkpoint is considered one of the key military positions in Wadi Hadhramaut, according to Yemeni media.

The STC has not issued any comment regarding the reported withdrawals.

Khanbashi earlier announced the launch of a military operation to take control of military sites in Hadhramaut, saying the move aims to neutralize weapons and protect the province from “dangerous scenarios that serve only chaos.”

The operation, dubbed “Taking Over the Camps,” seeks the peaceful and orderly handover of military sites across the province, he added.

“This operation does not target any political or social component, does not target civilians, and does not affect the lives or interests of citizens in any way,” he said.

The governor rejected claims that the move amounts to an escalation or a declaration of war against the STC, describing it instead as a preventive measure aimed at removing weapons from chaos and preventing military camps from being used to threaten the security of Hadhramaut and its people.

Saudi-led coalition fighter jets struck forces loyal to the STC in Hadhramaut on Friday after they set up ambushes targeting Yemeni government troops, Yemen’s Information Ministry Undersecretary Mohammed Qizan told Al Jazeera.

Yemen has seen an unprecedented escalation since Tuesday after STC forces took control of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra in early December. The two provinces account for nearly half of Yemen’s territory and share borders with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the same day of “pushing STC forces to carry out military operations” along the kingdom’s southern border in Hadhramaut and Al-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.