The 10th Anniversary of Al Dhalea Liberation

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The Tenth Anniversary of the Liberation of Al-Dhalea

Analytics - منذ 21 يوم

 A Strategic Military Analysis from a Southern Perspective

South Eye | Analysis - Exclusive

May 25, 2025 marks the tenth anniversary of the liberation of Al-Dhalea governorate a pivotal turning point in the war and the rising of the southern national project under the leadership of Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi. The Battle of Al-Dhalea was the first to break the aura of invincibility surrounding the Houthi-Saleh alliance after 2014. It also reflected the early formation of a southern military doctrine rooted in defending land and identity.

From the initial stages of the battle in March and April 2015, Al-Dhalea emerged as the first southern governorate to be completely liberated from Houthi militias control, thanks to the efforts of the Southern Resistance forces led by President Al-Zubaidi and Arab coalition. He effectively mobilized the local military and social fabric to form what would later become the nucleus of the "Security Belt Forces" and the broader southern armed structure.

What distinguished the Battle of Al-Dhalea was that it took place amid a near-total collapse of official army affiliated to the government, and the absence of any centralized command, compelling the southern resistance to independently organize, coordinate, and engage without formal military cover in the early stage. According to international research institutes, the liberation of Al-Dhalea was the first victory against the Houthis  militias that encouraged other southern governorates to follow suit and helped prepare the southern front for subsequent political engagement.

From a military standpoint, the operation represented a model of (offensive defense,) blending the defense of rugged mountainous terrain with highly effective counterattacks on Houthi militias supply lines. Southern forces took full advantage of difficult geography and robust popular support, making it an ideal environment for an irregular, popular-based war in the first month of Houthi militias invasion.

The liberation of Al-Dhalea was not an isolated event; it became the launching pad for a broader strategic vision centered on building an independent southern force, which materialized further through the establishment of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in 2017, under President Al-Zubaidi’s leadership. The Council emerged as both a political and military umbrella for the southern people's cause.

The success in Al-Dhalea confirmed that the South possessed a popular, political and military will, stronger than northern factions something regional and international actors only recognized later. A report by the International entities noted that actors such as the Southern Transitional Council can no longer be ignored, especially given its leaders decisive role in battleof liberation like Al-Dhalea, Lahj, and Aden capital, in addition to its role in counterterrorism in Abyan Shabwah and Hadhramaut (Cost)

Hence, the tenth anniversary of Al-Dhalea’s liberation is not just a moment to commemorate a historic victory. It is also a time to evaluate a path built on sacrifice, grassroots strategy, and tactical endurance one that now asserts itself as a central force in the equation of power and sovereignty in the South. The lessons of Al-Dhalea remain ever-relevant, especially as the South reorganizes its course toward building a future independent state grounded in the legacy of liberation, right and popular southern will, with Al-Dhalea as its defining milestone.