Al Qaeda Flourishes in Yemen’s War-Torn Territory
The civil war in Yemen rages on as Al Qaeda strengthens its foothold in the region. In a positive turn of events, the United Nations announced on Friday that five of its staff members, who had been held captive for 18 months, have been freed. Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, expressed relief that “all available information suggests that all five colleagues are in good health.”
The individuals who were released are Akm Sufiul Anam, Mazen Bawazir, Bakeel al-Mahdi, Mohammed al-Mulaiki, and Khaled Mokhtar Sheikh. They were all employed by the U.N. Department of Security and Safety. Haq reiterated the secretary-general’s condemnation of kidnapping as a heinous and unjustifiable crime and called for the perpetrators to be held accountable. Unfortunately, no details were provided regarding the identity of the kidnappers or the circumstances surrounding the captives’ liberation.
The abduction of the U.N. workers took place in February 2022, when suspected al-Qaida militants seized them in Yemen’s Abyan province, according to Yemeni officials. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has been active in southern Yemen for quite some time and is considered one of the most dangerous branches of the global network. The group has even made attempts to carry out attacks on U.S. soil.
Kidnappings are distressingly common in Yemen, a nation crippled by poverty, where armed tribesmen and militants frequently take hostages to exchange for prisoners or ransom money. Since 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of the capital and large parts of the north, plunging Yemen into turmoil, the country has been devastated by war. In response, a Saudi-led coalition, including the United Arab Emirates, intervened in an attempt to restore the internationally recognized government to power. Regrettably, Al Qaeda has taken advantage of this prolonged conflict to solidify its presence in Yemen.
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