Marib (South24)

A security expert issued a warning on Sunday about the growing risk of weapons and ammunition, recently looted in Hadramout governorate, falling into the hands of Al-Qaeda. 

Speaking to South24 Center, the expert highlighted evidence suggesting that the terrorist group is actively seeking to acquire these weapons through tribal intermediaries. 

The expert further explained that Al-Qaeda members, based in Wadi Obaida in Marib, are reportedly working with tribal factions involved in the looting to procure arms for the group. These developments, he emphasized, represent a direct threat to the security and stability of the region.

While it has not yet been confirmed whether Al-Qaeda members in Marib took part in the looting of weapons in Hadramout, the expert warned that the group’s growing involvement in these activities is a serious concern. 

Recent reports indicate that the Southern National Shield Forces have thwarted some attempts to smuggle looted weapons out of military camps in Hadramout, resulting in the arrest of several individuals linked to those operations.

The reports added that clashes erupted in the Al-Khasha and Al-Abr areas, where the National Shield Forces engaged armed groups affiliated with the Northern Emergency Brigades, along with tribal militants arriving from Marib and Al-Jawf, following the looting incidents.

Activists circulated a video on social media showing a military vehicle looted from Hadramout engulfed in flames east of the city of Marib, after it was reportedly struck by a Saudi aircraft.

#BREAKING

Following widespread looting of several camps, #Saudi_Arabia strikes a military armored vehicle east of Marib that was looted by Northern elements from Southern Government forces' camps in #Hadramout, according to a circulated video#south24 pic.twitter.com/StvkLblTFr

— South24 | English (@South24E) January 5, 2026

The Saudi-backed forces have acknowledged the unauthorized appropriation of military equipment, branding the perpetrators as "outlaws," and have announced measures aimed at preventing these weapons from reaching armed groups and terrorist organizations. 

Local sources told South24 that large quantities of weapons have been moved into tribal strongholds and valleys in Marib, particularly to areas like Wadi Obaida, where Al-Qaeda elements are known to operate. 

These developments come amid increasing concerns about security, fueled by a recent statement from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leader, Saad al-Din al-Alouqi. The statement expressed the group’s satisfaction with the withdrawal of UAE counterterrorism forces from Yemen and the exit of South Yemen forces from Hadramout. Al-Alouqi claimed, "Today, in our Yemen, we have broken one of the idols of partnership and misguidance." 

South24 also reported that AQAP-linked accounts have shared images depicting gunmen allegedly taking control of arms storage facilities at Al-Rayyan Airport, previously used by South Yemeni forces. This has raised fresh concerns about the resurgence of AQAP activity along the coastal areas of Hadramout. 

Journalists and experts warn that the continued spread of looted weapons, combined with the security instability seen recently in Mukalla and along the Hadramout coast, could create a fertile ground for the return of extremist groups. Experts stress that strengthening security measures and fully closing off smuggling routes are vital to mitigating this growing threat.