STC Withdraws From Maasheeq Palace in Aden

By Staff, Agencies

Forces affiliated with Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) have withdrawn from Maasheeq Presidential Palace in the southern port city of Aden, handing control of the site to units from the Salafi-affiliated Giants Brigades, according to reports.

The Giants Brigades are expected to later transfer control of the palace to forces from Dira’ al-Watan, a Saudi-backed military formation whose arrival in Aden is anticipated in the coming period.

The move marks a significant shift in authority over one of the most symbolically and politically important sites in southern Yemen.

Maasheeq Palace has long served as a seat of power for Yemen’s Aden-based government and a focal point of rivalry between Saudi- and Emirati-backed factions.

The STC’s withdrawal reflects an accelerating reconfiguration of power in the city, as Saudi-aligned forces expand their footprint at the expense of UAE-aligned groups.

The handover underscores Riyadh’s growing efforts to consolidate control through military formations directly loyal to the Presidential Leadership Council, following the STC’s earlier rapid offensive and takeover of key governance institutions in the south.

In parallel developments, the Saudi-backed Hadhramaut National Council announced on Saturday what it described as the “return of the city of Seiyun, the capital of Wadi Hadhramaut, to its people.”

The council claimed that security and stability had been restored and that the situation was resolved “in favor of the system and the prestige of the state.”

Taken together, the developments in Aden and Hadhramaut point to deepening fractures within the Saudi-led camp.

Rather than stabilizing Yemen, rival regional agendas continue to reshape the conflict, entrench fragmentation, and cast further uncertainty over the country’s political future.