ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) seized control of key state institutions in the southern port city of Aden on Wednesday after security units aligned with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) withdrew, a local government official said.
Units from the pro-government Giants Brigades moved to secure Aden International Airport, the Central Bank headquarters, the Maashiq presidential palace, and other government facilities, the official told Xinhua, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official said Giants Brigades commander Abdulrahman al-Muharrami -- a PLC member -- ordered troops to secure Aden's main entrances and protect state institutions to prevent a security vacuum and maintain stability.
There was no immediate comment from the internationally recognized Yemeni government or the PLC on the takeover. Pro-government forces later imposed a curfew in Aden from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., citing security concerns.
Some units of the STC's Security Belt Forces, which have controlled Aden for years, remain deployed in the city and are coordinating with pro-government troops to maintain security, the official said.
Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, has long been a flashpoint in the country's war, which erupted in 2014 when Houthi forces seized much of the north, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in the following year. Tensions in the south have persisted despite repeated power-sharing deals.
The latest developments coincided with renewed violence elsewhere in southern Yemen. At least six people were killed Wednesday in Saudi airstrikes on the hometown of STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi in Al-Dhalea province, local sources said.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said al-Zubaidi, a former PLC member expelled earlier Wednesday by PLC leader Rashad al-Alimi, had been asked to travel to Saudi Arabia for talks with Al-Alimi and coalition commanders on the recent escalation.
Last week, airstrikes and ground operations by the Saudi-led coalition forced STC forces to withdraw from the oil-producing Hadramout province and Al-Mahrah, which borders Oman. STC fighters had seized both provinces from Saudi-backed government forces in December.
Formed in 2017 and widely seen as backed by the United Arab Emirates, the STC seeks autonomy and eventual independence for southern Yemen. Although it joined the Saudi-led coalition and became part of the PLC in 2022, the group's push for southern self-rule has continued to fuel disputes over power-sharing and control of territory and resources. ■
