Image Credits: Reuters
At least 11 fighters aligned with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) were killed in a devastating car bomb attack in Yemen’s Abyan province on Friday. The explosion targeted a military barracks in Wadi Omran, resulting in several injuries among the soldiers stationed there, according to local sources reported by South24, a Yemeni news outlet.
An STC official, speaking to The National, suggested that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was likely behind the attack. AQAP has a stronghold in Abyan, a southern province bordering the Gulf of Aden, and has been responsible for similar assaults in the past. While the officials did not confirm the exact death toll, they acknowledged that such attacks are not uncommon in the region, pointing to previous incidents involving AQAP.
This latest bombing follows a series of violent incidents in Wadi Omran, where STC members have been targeted repeatedly. In March, two STC fighters lost their lives in a bombing in the same area, while five more were killed in an attack in August of the previous year, which was also attributed to AQAP.
The Southern Transitional Council has long accused AQAP of collaborating with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control significant portions of northern Yemen. The STC’s allegations highlight the complex web of alliances and enmities in the ongoing Yemeni conflict, where multiple factions vie for power and influence.
AQAP, formed in 2009 with the ambition of establishing an Islamic regime in Yemen, has been one of the most active and dangerous extremist groups in the region. According to research conducted by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), the group had between 2,000 and 3,000 members at its peak and has carried out numerous attacks against other groups and government forces.
ACLED’s research also indicates that AQAP’s operational presence remains robust, particularly in the Abyan and Shabwa governorates. The group is reportedly active in several other regions, including Hadramawt, Marib, and Al Bayda, with sleeper cells potentially operating in Al Mahra, Aden, and Lahej governorates.
As Yemen’s conflict continues to rage, the STC and other factions face ongoing threats from AQAP and similar extremist groups.