Saudi-backed Yemeni forces retake Seiyun from UAE-backed STC without fighting, as part of effort to restore central control.

Saudi-funded After the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) withdrew from strategic locations, Yemeni government forces have peacefully recaptured Seiyun, the second-largest city in Hadramout province. With the government claiming complete control, the action, supported by Saudi airstrikes, represents a dramatic change in the ongoing conflict. In order to prevent civilian casualties, the STC declared the withdrawal to be temporary and reserved the right to rejoin. Fighting is still going on in other parts of the oil-rich region, and the operation is part of a larger campaign backed by Saudi Arabia to restore central authority.