Saudi-Backed Homeland Shield Forces Deploy To Al-Khasha’a In Strategic Eastern Yemen Shift

Saudi-supported Homeland Shield Forces have deployed to Al-Khasha’a and the 37th Mechanized Brigade base in central Hadhramaut, eastern Yemen, marking a significant escalation in the struggle for control over one of the country’s most strategic regions. Verified visuals and ground reports confirm the presence of the forces inside this sensitive military sector, underscoring a rapid shift in the local balance of power.

Confirmed Deployment In Strategic Military Zone

Video footage and images circulating on regional and Yemeni media platforms show armoured vehicles, troop convoys, and fortified positions belonging to the Homeland Shield Forces inside Al-Khasha’a, a key military hub in Wadi Hadhramaut. The forces were also seen securing areas around the 37th Mechanized Brigade base, a long-established installation capable of hosting thousands of troops and heavy equipment.

Multiple regional sources describe the move as coordinated and deliberate, aimed at re-establishing Saudi-backed government authority over camps previously held by UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces.

Government Declares Control Over Major Camp

Hadhramaut Governor Salem Ahmed Saeed Al-Khunbashi, aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government, announced that government forces had taken control of Al-Khasha’a camp, describing it as “the largest and most important military base in the governorate.”

Officials confirmed that armoured units and reinforcements were moved into the area, consolidating control and securing surrounding supply routes. Al-Khunbashi was also formally appointed overall commander of the Homeland Shield Forces in Hadhramaut, granting him full military, security, and administrative authority across the province.

STC Rejects ‘Peaceful Operation’ Claim

The Southern Transitional Council strongly rejected the government’s claim that the takeover was peaceful. Senior STC officials stated that the operation involved direct confrontation, alleging multiple Saudi airstrikes, including three strikes near Al-Khasha’a camp.

According to STC sources, the airstrikes targeted positions held by UAE-aligned southern forces, escalating tensions dramatically. While casualty figures remain unverified, the strikes marked a rare instance of Saudi air power being used against anti-Houthi factions backed by the UAE.

Why Al-Khasha’a And Hadhramaut Matter

Hadhramaut, Yemen’s largest governorate by territory, holds enormous strategic, economic, and geopolitical value. It borders Saudi Arabia, contains critical oil-producing zones, and controls vital east-west and north-south supply corridors.

Al-Khasha’a camp serves as a command-and-control hub for central Hadhramaut, making it pivotal for any force seeking dominance over eastern Yemen. Saudi Arabia also maintains deep historical and tribal links to Hadhramaut, adding another layer of strategic sensitivity.

Saudi-UAE Rift Spills Onto Yemeni Soil

The latest deployment highlights a growing fracture within the anti-Houthi coalition. While Saudi Arabia backs the Yemeni government, the United Arab Emirates supports the STC, which seeks southern independence. This rivalry has increasingly transformed Yemen’s eastern provinces into arenas of proxy competition rather than unified opposition to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.

The escalation follows the UAE’s recent decision to end the mission of its remaining counterterrorism units in Yemen, a move widely interpreted as part of a broader strategic recalibration amid rising tensions with Riyadh.

Aden Airport Dispute Adds Pressure

Military developments in Hadhramaut have coincided with a diplomatic and logistical crisis in Aden, where flights were temporarily halted amid accusations that the STC blocked the landing of a Saudi delegation aircraft. The STC, in turn, accused Saudi authorities of imposing restrictive air measures amounting to an informal blockade.

What Comes Next

With Homeland Shield Forces consolidating positions in central Hadhramaut and STC units on high alert, eastern Yemen now risks becoming a new frontline in an already fragmented conflict. Control of Al-Khasha’a will likely determine future troop movements, oil security, and political leverage in the region.

Whether this deployment leads to stabilisation or wider confrontation will depend on how Riyadh and Abu Dhabi manage their rivalry — and whether Yemen’s eastern provinces can avoid becoming the next prolonged battleground in the country’s decade-long war.