Clashes between government forces and forces loyal to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the Sheikh Salem area, outside Abyan governorate’s capital, Zinjibar, left an unspecified number of casualties on both sides on Monday, a military official in the 4th Military Zone told Almasdar Online. 

Government forces moved from their positions in the area of Qarn Al-Kalasi, near the town of Shaqra and the Al-Orqoub mountain range, towards the STC forces, which were positioned in Sheikh Salem. STC forces withdrew from the coastal town following the clashes, the source said. 

Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Hadhrami said on the ministry’s Twitter account that the Yemeni government is committed to the Riyadh Agreement as a road map for peace in the south, calling on the STC to implement the agreement and to retreat. The STC, for its part, has said it is also committed to the Riyadh Agreement, but wants the government to make concessions. The Saudi-brokered agreement seeks to create a power-sharing government in which the two warring groups can work together. 

The UAE-backed STC first took control of Aden from the government in August. In April, the STC declared “self-administration” in Yemen’s southern governorates – a move rejected by most southern governors. The STC now controls Aden, Al-Dhale, Lahj and parts of Abyan. The island of Socotra has seen intermittent clashes between the STC and government forces since May 1. 

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Edited by Ahlam Mohsen