From governing south Yemen to mobilising: The STC’s post-defeat strategy

The Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group in Yemen, has suffered a major military and political setback after a swift counteroffensive by Saudi-backed government forces. After briefly seizing control of Hadhramaut and al-Mahrah provinces, the STC was pushed back by Saudi air strikes and lost its authority even in its would-be capital, Aden. A top STC official claims the group is still relevant and that its initial takeover was an unplanned response to a power vacuum, not a direct challenge to Saudi security. The STC's main patron, the UAE, has reportedly exited Yemen, and the group's leader has disappeared.