Abyan (South24)

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The AQAP’s suicide attack yesterday (Aug 16) that killed 16 soldiers and injured 18 of the Southern forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Mudiyah district of Abyan Governorate has been widely condemned, including by the US Embassy, the Internationally Recognized Government, the Islah Party, among others.

On Friday, an AQAP member detonated an explosive-laden car in the middle of the barracks of the Southern Forces’ Third Backup and Support Brigade in Mudiyah district.

Related: Suicide car bomb targets Southern Forces in Abyan, leaving 16 dead 

The attack is the first car bomb operation targeting the Southern forces in more than two years, after a similar attack in March 2022 targeted the convoy of the commander of the Security Belt Forces in Abyan. Brigadier General Abdullatif Al-Sayed, who survived that attack, was later killed by an explosive device in August 2023.

Related: Security Belt Commander in Abyan Killed in an AQAP Attack (Updated) 

The AQAP officially claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack in Mudiyah. The terror group announced the identity of the perpetrator as ’Ghanem Al-Abi‘.

Condemning the attack, the US Embassy in Yemen said on the ’X‘ platform: "We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Abyan Governorate. We offer our condolences to the families of those killed in this senseless attack and pray for a full recovery of those injured."

In its statement condemning the attack, the Internationally Recognized Yemeni Government stressed that the attack "will not undermine the determination to defeat terrorist organizations, primarily AQAP, ISIS, and the Houthi militia allied with them." It added: "This terrorist attack reminds us of the importance of redoubling efforts to counter-terrorism in cooperation with Yemen's partners, and not to be lenient in confronting these acts, considering terrorism is a global phenomenon."

The Islamic Islah Party also condemned the attack. The party's spokesman, Adnan Al-Adini, said: "We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist crime that targeted the Third Backup and Support Brigade in Abyan. We offer our condolences to the families of the martyrs and wish a full recovery to the wounded."

Abdullah Al-Alimi, a member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), in his statement said: "Abyan and the Southern governorates have shed tremendous blood in confronting terrorist organizations that represent the other side of the Houthi-Iranian terrorism. This attack will only increase our determination."

The head of the Yemeni Shura Council, Ahmed bin Dagher, condemned the attack, noting that it "represents a bloody return to terrorist acts in Abyan Governorate", and called for "national unity and support for all legitimate state institutions, both civil and security".

Despite the condemnations issued by the Islah Party and some of its affiliate politicians, Southern experts noted that these stances were a cover to exploit the incident to call for the dismantling of the Southern forces and for casting doubt on them.

In a related context, the STC President and Commander-in-Chief of the Southern forces, Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, who is also a PLC member, received a call from PLC member and Commander of the Republican Guard Forces, Tariq Saleh, in which he offered his condolences for the victims of the terrorist attack.

The head of the STC Political Commission, Nasser Al-Khobaji, in his message stated that "this cowardly terrorist operation does not only target our armed forces, but is a blatant attack on the stability and security of the South and the entire region". He added: "Such terrorist acts that aim to destabilize and stir up chaos, in addition to the ongoing media incitement against our Southern Armed Forces, cannot be justified in any way".

Al-Khobaji called on the international community to "assume its responsibilities in combating terrorism and supporting efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region."

It is noteworthy that in August 2022, Aidrous Al-Zubaidi launched the ’Arrows of the East‘ operation in Abyan Governorate against the AQAP, and the operation achieved great successes, as the AQAP military camp in Wadi Omran in Mudiyah district fell in a few days, which is the largest camp of the organization in the country. 

Related: Southern Forces: Abyan's «Arrows of the East» Operation is Completed 

However, the AQAP's retaliatory operations caused heavy human losses among the Southern forces, especially in Mudiyah District, as well as the Al-Masina'ah area in Al-Saieed district in neighboring Shabwa Governorate.

Since May 2023, the AQAP has begun using drones against the Southern forces. The STC and the Yemeni Ministry of Defense have officially accused the Houthi militia of arming the terrorist organization with these capabilities.