Shabwah province in eastern Yemen, has on Saturday witnessed a mutual military build-up between armed factions loyal to the UAE.
This coincided with the escalation of tensions between the Southern Transitional Council (STC) militia on the one hand and the militants of Tariq Saleh and Shabwah governor militias on the other, in light of the efforts of each faction to control the oil sources in the province.
According to media sources, the STC militia has sent new military reinforcements to the outskirts of Ataq city, the capital of Shabwah, coming from Abyan province.
For their part, the so-called Al-Amaliqa Brigades and the militants of the so-called Shabwah Defence Force have reinforced their presence in the areas near the oil fields with dozens of military personnel.
Tribal sources said that hundreds of Al-Amaliqa members affiliated with the so-called joint forces led by Tariq Saleh arrived during the past hours to Markha district and the outskirts of Usailan district, where the oil wells are located.
The STC had earlier warned the governor of Shabwah, Awad al-Awlaqi, against facilitating the control of Tariq Saleh’s forces over the oil sources in the province, threatening to prevent this by force.