Hadramout — Local and security sources reported the return of elements affiliated with Al‑Qaeda from Marib governorate to areas in Hadramout, under the cover of government forces receiving direct support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The development has raised growing concerns over the future of stability in southern Yemen.

According to the sources, movements and deployments of suspected extremist elements linked to Al-Qaeda were monitored alongside an escalation of Saudi airstrikes targeting positions of the Southern Transitional Council forces in several areas. These forces had previously succeeded in conducting security and military operations that dismantled terrorist networks and expelled extremist elements from a number of southern governorates.

The sources further revealed that Al-Qaeda elements carried out looting operations targeting military camps, seizing weapons and ammunition before transporting them to undisclosed locations. The incidents reportedly occurred amid security gaps accompanying the redeployment of certain units, raising alarms over the potential strengthening of extremist capabilities in the region.

The return of these elements, the sources added, took place under the protection of government units, reviving accusations of overlap with political and military groups, including elements associated with the Al‑Islah Party, which is widely accused of indirect links to extremist organizations amid the ongoing power struggle within the internationally recognized government camp.

Activists and political figures are calling for transparent investigations into the reported movements and the looting of military camps, urging safeguards to prevent counterterrorism efforts from being exploited in internal political rivalries. They stress that stability in the south hinges on excluding terrorist organizations and preventing their use as leverage in Yemen’s conflict dynamics.