Yemeni pro-government forces carried out a major operation Sunday against al-Qaida positions in the southern province of Abyan, according to a military official.
The joint units targeted strongholds of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Mudiyah district, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. He reported that three soldiers were killed in the clashes, while AQAP fighters deployed both drones and ground assaults. Several of the group’s members were killed or wounded, though no exact figures were provided. The remaining militants retreated into nearby mountains after the fighting.
AQAP has long taken advantage of Yemen’s civil war and weak state security to entrench itself in southern regions, using the instability to expand its operations. In late 2022, the internationally recognized government, in partnership with the Southern Transitional Council, launched a campaign in Abyan aimed at curbing AQAP’s influence. Despite those efforts, officials acknowledge the group remains active, continuing to carry out bombings and armed attacks targeting security forces.
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Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when the Houthi movement captured the capital, Sanaa, driving the government into exile and setting off years of war that fractured the country. Against this backdrop, AQAP has persisted as one of the most resilient extremist groups in the region.