Saudi-led coalition strikes Yemen, says STC leader al-Zubaidi has fled

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffJanuary 7, 2026 at 04:24 AM

AI Summary

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The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen launched strikes in the Dhale governorate on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, targeting secessionist forces. According to the coalition, the strikes were initiated after Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), failed to board a plane to Riyadh for peace talks and instead mobilized forces. The coalition stated that al-Zubaidi fled to an unknown location and was attempting to escalate the conflict. The STC has called on Saudi Arabia to halt the air strikes and claims that al-Zubaidi is in Aden overseeing military operations. The STC, which seeks an independent southern state, launched an offensive against the Saudi-backed government troops in December.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Houthi 40% Riyadh ×360% Dhale governorate ×265% Aden ×370% Saudi Arabia ×380% Southern Transitional Council (STC) ×385% Yemen ×690% Aidarous al-Zubaidi ×690%

Keywords

yemen conflict 90% saudi-led coalition 80% southern transitional council 70% air strikes 70% secessionist forces 70% riyadh talks 60% aidarous al-zubaidi 60% dhale governorate 50% aden 50% internationally recognised government 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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yemen conflict saudi-led coalition southern transitional council air strikes secessionist forces riyadh talks aidarous al-zubaidi dhale governorate aden internationally recognised government

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