Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) have taken control of Al-Wadea district in the southern province of Abyan province. Abyan province is the hometown of Saudi-backed Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
The reports of the capture of the district come as intelligence indicate that Islah, a Muslim Brotherhood affiliate alleged to be supported by Saudi Arabia in the fight against Houthis has entered the district. It is important to note that AQAP has held the province in the five-year-long conflict in Yemen. It is believed that Al-Qaeda had previously tactically retreated but is now in full control.
Global security climate indicates that Al Qaeda is seemingly back and is retaking control of areas it had tactfully withdrawn from. Majority of its affiliates across the globe have slowly started to regroup and carry out attacks as ISIS continues to lose ground.
