South Yemen: 5 Killed as STC-linked Crowd Storms State Building

Deadly unrest in the southeastern city of Ataq has exposed the fragility of Yemen’s internal power balance, as confrontation between forces aligned with the internationally recognized government and supporters of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) left 5 dead and 39 wounded on Wednesday.

Escalation In Ataq

The security committee in Shabwah governorate said armed fighters assaulted security and military personnel and fired live ammunition during an attempt to storm a local government building. Official forces intervened, resulting in casualties. Local sources told Al Jazeera that STC supporters organized a march before heading toward the building and attempting to remove the national flag.

Rami Lamlas, deputy head of the Shabwah General Hospital Authority, told Al Jazeera that 5 people were killed and 39 wounded when security and military forces dispersed demonstrators affiliated with the STC. The figures make it one of the deadliest single incidents in the governorate in recent months.

Cabinet Politics And Power Strain

The violence followed the announcement of a new cabinet by the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) days earlier. The PLC, the executive body of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, said the cabinet reflected diverse political and regional affiliations as part of efforts to govern a divided country.

Last month, the PLC consolidated its hold over southern Yemen with Saudi backing after an STC attempt to seize control of two southern provinces failed. That episode led to the collapse and dissolution of the STC’s push for control and the withdrawal of United Arab Emirates forces from southern Yemen, according to Saudi and Yemeni leaders. The UAE had backed the STC.

The Shabwah security committee said it would take action against anyone involved in incitement, planning, or the use of weapons, urging citizens to resist calls to join unrest.

“High Treason” And Internal Fracture

Tensions had already escalated on Jan. 7, when Yemen’s government said it removed STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi for “high treason” after he allegedly fled ahead of Riyadh talks. The removal of Aidarous al-Zubaidi marked a sharp escalation in Yemen’s long-running internal power struggle between the internationally recognized government and the UAE-backed STC.

The Jan. 7 decision, the failed attempt to control two provinces last month, and Wednesday’s clash in Ataq together underscore a widening rift inside Yemen’s anti-Houthi camp. Rival factions remain locked in contest over authority, territory, and external backing.

With five killed, 39 wounded, a Jan. 7 leadership removal, and a cabinet reshuffle announced only days earlier, the sequence of events signals sustained volatility rather than isolated unrest. The contest between the PLC and the STC remains central to Yemen’s fractured political order.