Al-Qaeda admits it has lost one of its leaders in Yemen, one month after his death

More than a month after he was killed in Shabwa governorate in southeastern Yemen, Al-Qaeda admitted that one of its field leaders had been killed in Yemen.

“Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,” also known as “Abu Ali i al-Shabwani,” released a statement on social media in which it expressed its sorrow over the passing of its leader, “Younis Muhammad Awad Mlaqi i al-Qa’aoui.” The statement did not say how or where he died.

According to the Yemeni daily “Al-Shar’a,” terrorist leader Younis al-Qa’ari was killed on May 11 in the city of Ataq, which is the capital of Shabwa governorate, while trying to carry out a terrorist operation. This was after al-Qaeda and the Houthi militia stepped up their attacks in response to the creation of the Presidential Command Council.

At the time, security sources said that Al-Qa’ari fought with the Shabwa’s defense troops while they were encircling him on a bus in central Ataq.

According to sources, Younis al-Qa’ari is one of the most dangerous individuals who was once a recruit of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda in the Shabwa governorate’s Radhum district more than ten years ago. He was active in the local community, trying to blend in with the tribes while pretending to be a battler and using a fake name.

Some people say that Al-Qa’ari was very good at hiding from the police by using tribal assets. They also say that the group was involved in many terrorist and sabotage operations, such as attacks on oil and gas supplies and oil pipelines in Shabwa recently, working with the Houthi group.

On Thursday, there was a terrorist attack on a checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Ataq, which is the capital of Shabwa governorate. Five troops were killed, and at least five others were hurt.

One person who works in security said that gunmen thought to be from al-Qaeda sped up their attack on a checkpoint at the eastern entrance to the city of Ataq, where Shabwa Defense Forces forces are stationed.

He said that the attack killed five soldiers and hurt at least five more, four of whom were badly hurt.

The source said that after the attack on Wadi Sadr, security forces were able to kill two attackers and damage one car that the attackers were using to try to get away.

One soldier named Awlaki, another named Khairan Mujilba, a fifth soldier named Salih al-Dabaa al-Barasi, and two more soldiers named Ali Muhammad Ahmad al-Diyani and Muhammad Nasir al-Qaiti were all killed.