Protesters in southern Yemen rally for the UAE-backed STC, defying a ban and rejecting Saudi claims of its dissolution.

Thousands protested in Aden and Mukalla, southern Yemen, supporting the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which denies dissolving despite a Saudi-backed government announcement claiming its disbandment. Protesters defied a security-related ban, waving historical southern Yemen flags and chanting anti-Saudi and anti-government slogans. The STC, which seized territory in December, rejected the disbandment claim as coerced, alleging its members in Riyadh were detained. Its leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, fled Yemen, with Saudi-led coalition allegations he was aided by the UAE. The rally highlights ongoing regional tensions and the STC’s continued influence in southern Yemen.