Balazs Daiana-Norina

MA in International Development
2nd year

The impact of the terrorist organizations in Yemen War

Taking advantage of the weak transitional state of Yemen, two powerful terrorist organizations
had started the race of gaining more control and more power operating in the country. Thus, the
two terrorist organizations, ISIL (The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham) and AQAP (Al-Qaeda
in the Arabian Peninsula) had added a new layer on the conflict already generated between
Hadi’s government and the Houthi rebel, creating more chaos and worsening the situation in
Yemen.
How did the terrorist organizations start their operation in Yemen?
Although AQAP considered a very dangerous terrorist organization gained more control after
2011 when the conflict between the transitional government and the Houthis had erupted, the
organization was operating in the country long before the actual war. 1 When the unity between
southern and northern parts of Yemen started to be affected by rivalries and clashes of interest
between the two, in 1994 the “returning Afghan Arabs” stabilized in the south were used by
Saleh, the former authoritarian leader of the country, against the southern socialists. 2 It was then
when the foundation of the terrorist organization was set by the Afghan Arabs. 3 Later on, in 2009
Al-Qaeda in Yemen joined forces with the AQ from Saudi Arabia, resulting in AQAP 4. AQAP
targeted the Western world, especially the United States, and “its dominant discursive theme was
the suffering of Muslims at the hands of non-Muslims”.5
On the other hand, the other organization, ISIL, started to operate in Yemen only in October
2014 by claiming that Yemen is a province of the Islamic State. 6 The driven ideology of the
organization relies on the claim that the Sunnis are being marginalized an oppressed by the
supporters of the Shia Islam. 7Thus, the Houthis were targeted because of their affiliation with
the Shia Islamism.8
What is the impact of the terrorist organizations in Yemen war?
AQAP profited of the conflict situation in the country and of the absence of governmental
institutions and in 2011 took control of several regions from the south-eastern provinces of
Yemen, Shabwa and Abyan, which were later took over by the government army with the help of
the US.9 In 2015, the organization caused more chaos and turmoil by attacking and capturing a
1
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/fikraforum/view/aqap-in-south-yemen-past-and-present
2
Ibidem.
3
Ibidem.
4
Clausen, M.-L. (2017). Islamic State in Yemen – A Rival to al-Qaeda? Connections: The Quarterly Journal, 16(1),
51–63. doi: 10.11610/connections.16.1.04
5
https://www.hudson.org/research/9866-the-ideological-hybridization-of-jihadi-groups
6
Clausen, M.-L. (2017). Islamic State in Yemen – A Rival to al-Qaeda? Connections: The Quarterly Journal, 16(1),
51–63. doi: 10.11610/connections.16.1.04
7
Alkaff, S. (2015). Yemen. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, 8(1), 97-101. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from
www.jstor.org/stable/26369574
8
Ibidem.
9
Clausen, M.-L. (2017). Islamic State in Yemen – A Rival to al-Qaeda? Connections: The Quarterly Journal, 16(1),
51–63. doi: 10.11610/connections.16.1.04
Balazs Daiana-Norina
MA in International Development
2nd year

prison from Mukalla and releasing about 300 prisoners, including one of their senior leaders,
Khalid Batarfi.10 Also. The town was sized by the organization in the same year until 2016 when
it was recaptured by United Arab Emirates.11
ISIS did not take control of any regions, towns or provinces, however in 2015 it triggered the
attention of the international powers, when it attacked two mosques in Sanaa. The attack was
done through two suicide bombers and it resulted in the death of over 130 people. 12 Although,
ISIS did not attempt another such big scale attack, from 2015 up until now it targeted the Houthis
and several mosques and government officials and institutions. 13 It carried out attacks in Sanaa
aiming at the rebel group, later it operated in south-eastern and southern parts of Yemen aiming
governmental institutions.14 Finally, ISIS was responsible for the attack of the temporary
headquarters of the government in Aden, which made the prime minister Hadi to flee the
country.15
Although they seem to have reduced their activities since international powers, namely US had
succeeded in killing senior leaders from the organizations, their influence still remains in the
country inflicting turmoil and terror on top of the already chaotic events of the civil war.

10
Alkaff, S. (2015). Yemen. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, 8(1), 97-101. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from
www.jstor.org/stable/26369574
11
Clausen, M.-L. (2017). Islamic State in Yemen – A Rival to al-Qaeda? Connections: The Quarterly Journal, 16(1),
51–63. doi: 10.11610/connections.16.1.04
12
https://charityandsecurity.org/country/yemen/?fbclid=IwAR1ZQFIPdtPsNd0W9ku6dZypK9phDV-
BtckvhtyHK0ZJ17bdsF2clZlvog4
13
Ibidem.
14
Clausen, M.-L. (2017). Islamic State in Yemen – A Rival to al-Qaeda? Connections: The Quarterly Journal, 16(1),
51–63. doi: 10.11610/connections.16.1.04
15
Ibidem.