A spokesman of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) has stated that the militias have on Saturday repelled an offensive carried out by Hadi and Islah militants on the city of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province.
Mohammed al-Naqib said that his forces were able to break an “infiltration attempt” by Hadi’s forces in Al-Tariya, and inflicted heavy losses on them.
Pro-STC activists confirmed that three leaders, Ali Qasim Shribeh al-Halimi, Mohammed Hussein Al-Yahri and Abbas al-Sanja, were killed in the confrontations.
This coincides with the intensification of fighting on all fronts.
The STC has been undergoing a major drain since the Riyadh Accords were signed in November last year.
Meanwhile, the Hadi puppet government claimed that its forces have made new progress against the STC’s main stronghold.
In the past few hours, Hadi forces have reportedly taken control over Medefin and the al-Sarari Mountains near the al-Makhzen area of the city of Ja’ar, according to local sources.
Recent developments suggest that Saudi Arabia has given Hadi the light to advance toward Aden after a deal he made with Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, which includes legalising a long-term Saudi presence in Mahrah in exchange for breaking the STC hold over Aden
