Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب,
Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab
LeadersNasir al-Wuhayshi † (2009–2015)
Qasim al-Raymi † (2015–20)
Khalid Batarfi# (2020–2024)
Sa'ad bin Atef al-Awlaki (2024–present)
Dates of operation2009 – present
Merger ofal-Qaeda in Yemen and al-Qaeda of Saudi Arabia
Allegiance al-Qaeda
Group(s)
Active regionsYemen and Saudi Arabia but predominantly in Yemen
Ideology
Size
  • 12,000 (own claim, 2010)[15]
  • 4,000 (2017 estimate)[18]
  • 6,000–7,000 (2018 estimate)[20]
  • 3,000 (2022 estimate)[21]
Part of al-Qaeda
AlliesNon-state allies:
OpponentsNon-State opponents

State opponents

Battles and warsYemeni Insurgency

Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)

Designated as a terrorist group by Bahrain[28]
 United Nations
 European Union
 NATO
 Australia
 Canada
 France
 Iran
 Japan
 United Kingdom
 Russia
 Saudi Arabia
 Syria
 United States
 United Arab Emirates
 Yemen
 Malaysia[29]
 New Zealand[30]
Preceded by
Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia
Al-Qaeda in Yemen

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Arabic: تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, romanized: Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit. 'Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula' or تنظيم قاعدة الجهاد في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, "Organization of Jihad's Base in the Arabian Peninsula"), commonly abbreviated as AQAP is a Sunni Islamist militant group which is part of the al-Qaeda network and is primarily active in Yemen and, to a lesser extent, Saudi Arabia.[31] It is considered the most active of al-Qaeda's branches that emerged after the weakening of central leadership.[31][32]

Originally established in 2009 as a merger between al-Qaeda in Yemen and al-Qaeda of Saudi Arabia, the group took advantage of the 2011 Yemeni Revolution to seize and establish several emirates in southern Yemen, including in Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan governorate.[33] After being driven out through a government offensive in 2012, the group began shifting to eastern Hadhramaut governorate while maintaining a presence across the country.[34] AQAP would once again capitalize on political turmoil in the country when the Yemeni civil war broke out in 2015. During that year, the group seized much of Hadhramaut, including its capital Mukalla, reestablished its emirates in the south, including Zinjibar, and was active in 82 of Yemen’s 333 districts.[33] AQAP would reach its peak in power in early 2016 after connecting its territory in Abyan and Shabwah governorates through an offensive in February. Its strength has since waned due to internal struggles and operations waged against them by multiple parties in the civil war, as well as through a drone campaign by the United States which has killed many of its senior members and leaders.[33]

In 2011, AQAP created Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen) (Arabic: جماعة أنصار الشريعة, Jamā‘at Anṣār ash-Sharī‘ah, "Group of the Helpers of the Sharia") as a parallel organization which would operate exclusively in the southern regions of Yemen. The group was created in order to appeal to the local youth in the south and to distance themselves from the reputation attributed to al-Qaeda. It was Ansar al-Sharia which established various emirates in Abyan and Shabwah, though the group is widely understood as being a rebrand or direct extension of AQAP.[35] In addition to its activities in the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP has conducted several high profile attacks in the West such as the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in 2009, the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting,[36] and the 2019 Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting.[37] The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations, United States, Saudi Arabia, UAE and several other countries.

  1. ^ a b Kendall, Elisabeth (8 September 2021). Cruickshank, Paul; Hummel, Kristina (eds.). "Twenty Years After 9/11: The Jihadi Threat in the Arabian Peninsula" (PDF). CTC Sentinel. 14 (7). West Point, New York: Combating Terrorism Center: 63–75. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)". Counter Extremism Project. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b "S/2018/705 – E". undocs.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
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  5. ^ a b "Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America' | World news | Observer.co.uk". TheGuardian.com. 26 August 2013. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013.
  6. ^ [4][5]
  7. ^ "frontline: the terrorist and the superpower: who is bin laden?: interview with osama bin laden (in may 1998)". pbs.org. Archived from the original on 8 May 1999.
  8. ^ "New ISIS and Al-Qaeda propaganda prioritize the US and Jews as targets". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  9. ^ "ISIS Augments Its Threats Against Israel". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Al-Qaeda calls for attacks on Jews and Americans 'everywhere' over Jerusalem". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  11. ^ [4][5][7][8][9][10]
  12. ^ "Al Qaeda prepares 'an army of 12,000 fighters,' threatens security forces – FDD's Long War Journal". 30 July 2010. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  13. ^ "Al Qaeda forms army of 12,000 fighters in Yemen". Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  14. ^ "AQAP announces formation of 12,000-strong army. Again. - FDD's Long War Journal". 12 October 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  15. ^ [12][13][14]
  16. ^ "Chapter 6. Foreign Terrorist Organizations". Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  17. ^ Seldin, Jeff (3 March 2017). "Flexing New Authorities, US Military Unleashes Barrage on AQAP". Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  18. ^ [16][17]
  19. ^ "AP Investigation: US allies, al-Qaida battle rebels in Yemen". AP News. 28 April 2021. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  20. ^ [3][19]
  21. ^ "UN report indicates al-Qaeda and ISIS enjoy safe haven in Turkish-controlled Idlib". Nordic Monitor. 9 February 2022. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  22. ^ "Yemen bomb: Suicide bomber hits military parade in Sanaa". GlobalPost. 20 May 2012. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  23. ^ "Brief: Al-Qaeda Affiliates AQIM and AQAP Show Unity with Eid Statement". The Jamestown Foundation. 28 April 2023. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  24. ^ "The Paris Attacks Underscore the Deep Threat Still Posed by Al Qaeda". 10 January 2015. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  25. ^ "الجيش واللجان الشعبية يطهرون معسكر لبوزة من عناصر القاعدة في لحج - أنصار الله". www.ansarollah.com. 24 July 2015. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  26. ^ "The UAE's Security-Economic Nexus in Yemen". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  27. ^ "Yémen: l'armée, aidée par les Etats-Unis, progresse face à Al-Qaïda". Le Point. 21 July 2011. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  28. ^ "Bahrain Terrorist List (Individuals – entities)". Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  29. ^ ANTI MONEY ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING, ANTI-TERRORISM FINANCING AND PROCEEDS OF UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES ACT 2001Archived 2022-10-09 at Ghost Archive
  30. ^ Designated individuals and organisationsArchived 2018-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  32. ^ "The al-Qaeda Brand Died Last Week". Forbes. 6 September 2011. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  33. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  34. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  35. ^ Zelin, Aaron (21 September 2012). "Know Your Ansar al-Sharia". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  36. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  37. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).