Al-Qaida Attack on Military Checkpoint Claims 2 Yemeni Soldiers Amid Ongoing Civil War

In the oil-rich province of Shabwa, Yemen, suspected al-Qaida fighters killed two Yemeni soldiers in a targeted attack on a military checkpoint, leaving others wounded, according to officials. The anonymous local government official reported that the assailants deployed heavy weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, resulting in the destruction of two military vehicles.

Yemen has been locked in a civil war since 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi insurgents seized control of the capital city, Sana’a. The conflict has drawn regional powers, including Iran and Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia, into the fray. To date, it has resulted in over 377,000 fatalities and spawned a severe humanitarian crisis, with pervasive food insecurity and inadequate access to health services across the country.

Amid the chaos, the Yemen-based al-Qaida faction continues to perpetrate attacks against the government and military forces. Despite concerted military efforts by the Yemeni government, it has struggled to eradicate this jihadist group, deemed by the US as one of the most dangerous offshoots of al-Qaida.