The Southern Transitional Council called for a campaign in Mukalla, Hadramaut, under the pretext of protecting the Hadhrami elite from plots to dismantle it, after Saudi Arabia recently established brigades called the Homeland Shield, to parallel the UAE’s progress in supporting and recruiting southerners in the southern governorates.

In the face of the million called for and funded by the Southern Transitional Council, the National Shield Forces responded and defended themselves in an official statement on their Facebook page.

The Homeland Shield confirmed that the million people called for by the Transitional Council do not reflect the reality of the situation in Mukalla, and considered it an attempt to fragment unity between the armed forces and society and create non-existent differences.

The statement, a copy of which was received by Scoop24, added: The National Shield Forces do not interfere in the affairs of Hadramiya and carry out their tasks in accordance with military controls, stressing that they were created to enhance security and not to disturb the internal peace.

The statement continued that the National Shield Forces were deployed in several governorates without replacing any force, and that they were performing their tasks with discipline and avoiding any unnecessary friction.

The statement concluded by emphasizing that society has the awareness to comprehend the truth, and that promoting rumors and slander has no place in people’s conscience.