The internationally recognised government of Yemen, known as the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), says its forces have recaptured two strategic southern provinces, reversing a month-long takeover by the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC).In early December 2025, the STC, a UAE-backed secessionist force, seized the two oil-rich provinces of Hadramout and al-Mahra, which border Saudi Arabia, in a campaign that Riyadh described as a red line for its national security.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listSaudi Arabia, which backs the PLC, responded with a series of air strikes on STC positions, including an attack on the southern Mukalla port, targeting what it described as United Arab Emirates (UAE) weapons shipments to the STC.The PLC and STC have long been allies in the fight against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, who captured Yemen’s capital Sanaa in 2014. Recent clashes have intensified instability in the war-ravaged nation and heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera unpacks the various groups fighting for control in Yemen, detailing who controls what on the ground and what this means for the humanitarian situation of the country’s 42 million people.Who are the key players in Yemen?There are three key players in Yemen: The Saudi-backed PLC, the Emirati-backed STC and the Iranian-backed Houthis. (Al Jazeera)Presidential Leadership Council (PLC)The PLC is Yemen’s internationally recognised, Saudi-backed governing body, based in Aden.The group has been led by Rashad al-Alimi since 2022, after former President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi formally transferred his powers to the new eight …
