A military commander in the UAE-affiliated Southern Transitional Council (STC) factions has defected upon his arrival in the city of Ma’rib, which is controlled by the Islah Party.
The military commander in the ranks of the STC factions in Shabwah province, Ali Hadi al-Masabi, appeared in a meeting with the commander of the “third region” affiliated with Islah, Mansour Thawaba, to discuss the so-called “unification of the armed factions in Ma’rib, Shabwah, and Hadhramaut.”
Observers see that Saudi Arabia is seeking to push the Islah factions towards the oil-rich Shabwa during the next stage in response to the movements of the UAE-backed factions in Hadhramaut and Mahrah provinces in eastern Yemen.
Last Monday, the Saudi commander of the “support and back brigades”, Sultan Al-Baqami, accompanied by the Chief of Defense Staff in the government loyal to the Saudi-led coalition, visited “Arin” camp in the Armaa area.
