Propose to split this article to alqaeda insurgency in yemen 19982011 and ansar alsharia insurgency in yemen part of the yemeni crisis 2011present in the consequence of discussion at list of ongoing military conflicts page. Hide footnote in northern yemen, where the battle against huthisaleh forces continues, the coalition has engaged in tacit alliances with aqap fighters, or at least turned a blind eye to them, as long as they have assisted in attacking the common enemy. The more yemen slips into instability the more it is an invitation for al qaeda to recruit fighters here. Yemen emerges as base for al qaeda attacks the new york times. During the 1990s, yemen became a central location for militant salafist groups such as aqaps predecessors, including islamic jihad in yemen, army aden abyan and al qaeda in yemen aqy. Jan 14, 2015 a senior leader of al qaeda s affiliate in yemen claimed responsibility wednesday for last weeks attack on the satirical newspaper charlie hebdo that killed 12 people in paris the group. Between 200 and 300 al qaeda fighters are believed to be operating in yemen, including foreign veterans of the wars in iraq and afghanistan. Jan 21, 2010 yemen s government is trying to find ways to combat al qaeda, which has a strong presence in the country.
Us closes embassy in yemen amid alqaeda crackdown as part of an unprecedented offensive, yemeni troops seize two of the terrorist groups strongholds in the south by ap and toi staff 8 may 2014. Analysisyemen crackdown may not stunt al qaedas appeal. The syriabased terror group isis is active and recruiting inside the middle eastern state of yemen, already a hotbed of terrorist activity, cnn has learned. Top al qaeda commander believed to be killed in cia drone. Government crackdown against alqaeda cells began in 2001, escalating steadily until 14 january 2010, when yemen declared open war on alqaeda. Prior to hostilities, yemen had already come under pressure to act against alqaeda, since attacks on its two main allies, saudi arabia and the united states, were primarily conducted by militants based in yemen previous attacks linked to alqaeda in yemen include the 2000 bombing of the uss cole, the 2008 american embassy attack, and several other attacks against foreign tourists. In addition to battling al qaeda across several provinces, yemen is also contending with shiite insurgency in. But it has played little role in the growing movement to. By the early 2000s, aqy had weakened as a result of a declining membership, but saudi arabias crackdown on its own local alqaeda branch prompted many. In 2005, rimi was sentenced to five years in prison in yemen for plotting the murder of the us ambassador to yemen. Al qaeda exploited the security vacuum and in 2015 took control of large parts of land in the south, including al mukalla, yemens fifthlargest city and a major source of port revenue. I have just modified 2 external links on al qaeda insurgency in yemen. Government crackdown against al qaeda cells began in 2001, escalating steadily until 14 january 2010, when yemen declared open war on al qaeda. Al qaedalinked militants took control of jaar in early april.
They are innocent people, and have no relations to al qaeda, he said. Aden, yemen observers said there was strong coordination between the iranbacked houthis and the jihadist groups of al qaeda and the islamic state in carrying out simultaneous attacks in aden in which at least 49 people were killed. Yemen troops free alqaeda hostages news al jazeera. Sanaa, jan 14 reuters yemen has declared open war on al qaeda, but multiple conflicts and feeble state control still make the arabian peninsula country a fertile breeding ground for militancy, diplomats and analysts say. Far from the battlefields of iraq and afghanistan, the united states and al qaeda are fighting a clandestine war of drones and suicide bombers in an unforgiving corner of arabia. Us special forces operatives carried out a raid in central yemen on saturday, targeting the house of a suspected leader of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap. Jun 04, 2015 beirut alqaeda affiliates are significantly expanding their footholds in syria and yemen, using the chaos of civil wars to acquire territory and increase their influence, according to. Saana has launched several air raids in recent weeks on people suspected of belonging to. She is now a lecturer in public and international affairs and the director of. Qasim al raymi, the leader of the al qaeda branch in yemen, is believed to have been killed in a cia airstrike, pompeo condemns the chinese crackdown on uighur muslims. In yemen, al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap seeks to strengthen and build its support base through a focus on the local fight. Yet just a day before the countrys national celebrations of northsouth unification, hundreds of thousands arrived in aden from all corners of the. Al qaeda in yemen aqy was the yemeni affiliate of al qaeda, formed in 2000. Quietly, alqaeda offshoots expand in yemen and syria the.
The resilience of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap, despite increased u. Since the death of osama bin laden, yemen has become the hottest front in the war against al qaeda. Yemen security crackdown as uk and us withdraw staff. However, in a more cautious statement, the french foreign ministry said it was too early to. Sep 23, 2015 during the 1990s, yemen became a central location for militant salafist groups such as aqaps predecessors, including islamic jihad in yemen, army aden abyan and alqaeda in yemen aqy.
Media caption white house spokesman sean spicer defends yemen raid the white house has said a raid in yemen on an al qaeda stronghold that is thought to have killed civilians was a very thought. Introduction this report examines the nexus of regional and local factors fuelling alqaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap and islamic state i ss gains in yemen. Al qaeda has a tainted name in the middle east because of iraq. Saudi arabias crackdown on al qaeda in 2003 the then security chief prince mohammed bin nayef launched a counter attack that would see a threeyear security crackdown on. Alqaeda goes underground in yemen against usdriven crackdown. A gripping account of how al qaeda in yemen rebounded from an initial defeat to once again threaten the united states. Alqaida in yemen has been galvanised into winning local support over recent months by direct us and british support for yemens counterterrorism efforts, according to sources close to the group. Drone strike in 2011, the cleric continues to inspire attacks in the u. Yemen has boosted its crackdown on al qaeda linked fighters ap.
In addition to battling al qaeda across several provinces, yemen is also contending with shia insurgency in. Then, in 2009, al qaida designated its branch in yemen and saudi arabia as al qaida in the arabian peninsula. The renewed focus on isis distracts from the greater emerging longterm threat posed by al qaeda. A look at al qaida s most lethal branch, yemen s aqap. Despite a subsequent crackdown on islamist militants and radicals by the saudi. Yemen crackdown may not stunt al qaedas appeal reuters. Jan 14, 2015 in a video released on wednesday, al qaeda in the arabian peninsula claimed responsibility for the attack on charlie hebdo in paris last week. Thriving on conflict, sectarianism, and local opportunism, alqaedas affiliates are stronger than ever in yemen. Aqap was formed in 2009 in response to a heavy saudi crackdown against al qaeda elements in yemen. It builds on crisis groups comparative study of the evolving global jihadist landscape, exploiting. Newser the us and britain closed their embassies in yemen today in the face of al qaeda threats, after both countries announced an increase in. The saudi group had been effectively suppressed by the saudi government, forcing its members to seek sanctuary in yemen.
Yemen is the base of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap which has recently suffered a series of. Iraq arrests number one butcher in alqaeda crackdown. Al qaida s most significant presence in the arab world today is in yemen, bin ladens ancestral homeland. May 04, 2015 second, it pushes al qaeda s most extreme elements into the arms of islamic state, which also appears to be growing in yemen amid the current chaos. As part of an unprecedented offensive, yemeni troops seize two of the terrorist groups strongholds in the south. Oct 19, 2012 aqaps leadership blends saudis al qaeda operatives who fled saudi arabias crackdown in the mid2000s and yemenis including aqaps leader nasser al wahayshi, its military commander qasim al raymi, and its sharia official sheikh abu zubair adil al abab. Government crackdown against al qaeda cells began in 2001, and reached an escalation point on january 14, 2010 when yemen declared open war on al qaeda. These yemeni aqap leaders were the most active in calling for and directing the. In fact, one tribal leader sherif abedrabo defends the people alleged to be members of al qaeda.
Yemeni forces capture three al qaeda militants as u. The country is also in the middle of a crackdown on al qaeda operatives cnn suspected al qaeda militants killed four yemeni soldiers sunday, the. Al qaeda in yemen call for jihad said al shihri, the deputy chief of al qaeda s wing in the yemen, has called for muslims in the region to wage holy war against christians and jews. Yemen is the base of alqaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap which has recently suffered a series of setbacks after the military launched an offensive in june with the help of us forces. Like al qaeda central, aqap opposes the monarchy of the house of saud. Security launches crackdown on alqaeda in modiya, abyan. The group formally known as al qaeda in the arabian peninsula.
Government crackdown against alqaeda cells began in 2001, escalating steadily until 14 january 2010. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple faq for additional information. Bbc news middle east craft rammed yemen oil tanker. Dec 30, 2017 the fight against al qaeda is a different military campaign in a different part of yemen than the one helping fuel the humanitarian disaster gripping the country, most visibly in the west. Jun 11, 2012 the birth of al qaeda for jihad in the arabian peninsula widely known in the west as aqap merged the previously separate al qaeda operations in yemen and saudi arabia under the leadership of yemeni national nasser abdulkarim al wuhaishi going by the name abu baseer, and a saudi deputy, said ali al shahri going by abu sufyan al azadi. Aqap has also capitalised on the instability in yemen in recent years to. An early response from a french diplomat at the embassy in the yemeni capital, sanaa, also compared the limburg disaster with the uss cole attack. The yemen based aqap, long considered by the united states government to be the most dangerous and potent branch of al qaeda, has reportedly benefited from the ongoing political and security chaos in yemen, growing in strength and expanding the territory it controls. A notebook belonging to an al qaeda fighter, which was found in a former militant training camp in southern yemen in may 2014, is seen in this picture taken july 8, 2014. The sudden spread of al qaeda in south yemen was seen by many yemenis as a ruse by saleh, a northerner, to warn western and. And even with the americanborn al awlaki killed by a u. The scene of a suicide bombing this year in southern yemen, where a branch of al. Following is a timeline tracing al qaeda activity in. Farina, challenges to yemens sovereignty unpublished.
Oct 30, 2010 it was the second time in less than a year. Qasim alraymi, who has led alqaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap since 2015, is killed in yemen. More tribes join yemen protesters amid crackdown news. How saudi arabias war in yemen has made al qaeda stronger. Government crackdown against alqaeda cells began in 2001, and reached an escalation point on january 14, 2010 when yemen declared open war on al qaeda. Government crackdown against alqaeda cells began in 2001, and reached an escalation point on january 14, 2010, when yemen declared open war on alqaeda. The internal turmoil left uncontrolled pockets of territory filled by al qaeda, especially after saudi arabias crackdown forced extremists to flee across the border in 2004. May 31, 20 apart from constant power outages, a mercurial national dialogue in the capital, and the unpredictable threat of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap, yemen appears relatively settled in its usual state of dysfunctional normalcy. Jan 21, 2015 the syriabased terror group isis is active and recruiting inside the middle eastern state of yemen, already a hotbed of terrorist activity, cnn has learned. In addition to battling alqaeda across several provinces, yemen was forced to contend with a shia insurgency in the north and militant separatists in the south. He escaped from the prison in sanaa in 2006, after which al qaeda in yemen resumed its operations.
Alqaida already looked irrelevant after arab spring. By the early 2000s, aqy had weakened as a result of a declining membership, but saudi arabias crackdown on its own local al qaeda branch prompted many saudi. Analysis egyptian crackdown hands al qaeda new lease of. Understanding yemens al qaeda threat al qaeda in yemen. Aqap was formed in january 2009 from a merger of al qaeda s yemeni and saudi branches. Al qaeda crackdown fuelled yemen unrest channel 4 news. Its alliances spanned the middle east and helped it to project power, despite the u. Among the dead was a journalist working for the saudi channel al ikhbariya.
With the united states threatening more direct military intervention in yemen to root out al qaeda, the yemeni governments crackdown may be less a matter of hoping for something in return for its cooperation than a fear of what may happen if it does not. Al qaeda is pursuing a global strategy of enmeshing its forces in local movements and militias. A history of alqaeda activity in yemen the globe and mail. At al jazeera english, we focus on people and events that affect peoples lives. Salehs ruthless rule was unable to hold yemen together. Oct 29, 2015 nasser bin ali al ansi, leader of the yemeni branch of al qaeda aqap, seen on televisions at an electronics shop in sanaa, yemen, january 14, 2015 as he delivers a message claiming. Western intelligence agencies say alqaeda is using yemen as a base to launch attacks epa the nigerian suspect in that case had studied arabic in the yemeni capital, sanaa. Yemen has declared open war on al qaeda, but multiple conflicts and feeble state control still make the arabian peninsula country a fertile breeding ground for. The real winner in yemens civil war could be alqaeda. You would probably have to go back a decade to find a cause with such potential to mobilise jihadis worldwide in a short space of time. Apr 08, 2016 dubaicairo once driven to near irrelevance by the rise of islamic state abroad and security crackdowns at home, al qaeda in yemen now openly rules a ministate with a war chest swollen by an. Yemeni soldiers are facing retaliation for their nations support to the usled war on alqaeda epa yemen has been waging a crackdown on alqaeda with us backing.
Al qaeda exploited the security vacuum and in 2015 took control of large parts of land in the south, including al mukalla, yemen s fifthlargest city and a major source of port revenue. Fighting alqaeda is now a priority in yemen, alarabiya english, 14 may 2016. The collapse of the ceasefire in the capital and the continued crackdown in south yemen increase. Video by alqaeda branch takes credit for paris attack. The south yemen insurgency is a term used by the yemeni government to describe the protests and attacks on government forces in southern yemen, ongoing since 27 april 2009. Feb 07, 2017 days after a raid in yemen led to the first us military combat death under president donald trump, the leader of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula released an audio message taunting the new. Militants suspected of links to al qaeda clashed with the army in the. Us closes embassy in yemen amid alqaeda crackdown as part of an unprecedented offensive, yemeni troops seize two of the terrorist groups. Al nadhari is believed to be one of the masterminds behind the jan. As arab leaders finalise the details of a plan for the yemen president to step down, jamal osman looks at how his governments crackdown on al qaeda suspects helped fuel the uprising against him. As arab leaders finalise the details of a plan for the yemen president to step down, jamal osman looks at how his governments crackdown on al qaeda.
Jan 23, 2002 not al qaeda members furthermore, yemeni tribesmen are wary of central authority and their cooperation with the governments crackdown is shaky at best. The coordinated military operation targeted elements of al qaeda organization and their positions in several areas of modiya district of abyan governorate in a move to hunt down the terrorists in the rugged terrain and rocky cliffs in the estern parts of modiya, where al qaeda used them as hideouts. Gunmen in yemen have killed three protesters tearing up posters of president ali abdullah saleh, raising to 19 the death toll in 24 hours and prompting washington to say. Apr 26, 2011 al qaeda crackdown fuelled yemen unrest as arab leaders finalise the details of a plan for the yemen president to step down, jamal osman looks at how his governments crackdown on al qaeda. Al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, as the yemeni affiliate is known, claimed responsibility for the paris attack in which two gunmen killed 12 people. Jan 06, 2010 the arrests were the latest move in yemen s u. Although the violence has been blamed on elements within the southern secessionist movement, leaders of the group maintain that their aims of independence are to be achieved through peaceful means, and claim that attacks are. Yemen army pushes al qaeda fighters from two cities, about 40. Reaching more than 270 million households in over 140 countries across the globe, our viewers trust al jazeera english to keep them informed, inspired, and. Aug 14, 2016 yemeni army forces backed by arab coalition aircraft killed about 40 suspected al qaeda fighters on sunday as they fought their way into two militant strongholds in eastern yemen, a local official. Top yemen bahai figure disappears amid houthi crackdown. A look at alqaidas most lethal branch, yemens aqap. Us pounds al qaeda in yemen, but barely dents risk of attack. Al qaida in the arabian peninsula was born, with al.
Yemeni security forces had ramped up air raids and security sweeps on militant hideouts even before the yemenbased al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap said it had organised a failed dec. Iraq arrests number one butcher in al qaeda crackdown a fanatical al qaeda terrorist who has been dubbed iraqs number one butcher has been arrested in a police raid. Alqaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap was formed in january 2009 by a merger. Us closes embassy in yemen amid alqaeda crackdown the. Alqaida in yemen has been galvanised into winning local support over recent months by direct us and british support for yemens counterterrorism efforts, according to. Yemeni vice president abdurabu mansour hadi says the country has expelled 16,000 al qaeda. We bring topics to light that often go underreported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a voice to. First, alqaeda in iraq had been badly hurt, and its ability to cre. Now, with headlines about a terrorist plot to bomb a u. Yemen alqaeda leader alraymi killed by us strike bbc news.
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