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Islamic State – Yemen Province

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The Islamic State – Yemen Province (IS-YP; Arabic: الدولة الإسلامية – ولاية اليَمَن, romanized: ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah – Wilayat al-Yaman) is a branch of the militant Islamist group Islamic State (IS), active in Yemen. IS announced the group's formation on 13 November 2014.[10][11]

Yemen Province
ولاية اليمن
LeadersAbu Bakr al-Baghdadi (2014-19) † (Leader of ISIL)
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (2019-22) † (Leader of ISIL)
Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (2022–2022) † (Leader of ISIL)
Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi (2022–2023) † (Leader of ISIL)
Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (2023–present)(Leader of ISIL)
Abu Bilal al-Harbi †[1]
(c. 2014 - March 2017 or earlier)
Abu Osama al-Muhajir[2] (POW)[3][4]
(March 2017-3 June 2019)
Unknown (2024-?)
Dates of operation13 November 2014–present
HeadquartersYemen
Active regions Yemen
IdeologySalafism Islamism
Size100-150 (July 2024)[6]
300 (June 2015)[7]
250–500 (2018)[2]
250 (2023) [8]
Part of Islamic State
OpponentsState opponents

Non-state opponents

Battles and warsYemeni Civil War

Organization

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Yemen Province's organizational structure is divided into geographical based sub-units. There are at least eight known sub-provinces active in Yemen as of 2015, many named after existing administrative divisions of Yemen:[12]

At least seven separate sub-wilayah have claimed responsibility for attacks in Yemen, including Wilayah Sana'a, Wilayah Lahij, and Wilayah al-Bayda.[19][20]

By 2018, all Wilayats in Yemen were merged as a singular "Yemen Wilayah" similar to ISIL's merger of its Iraqi and Syrian provinces into singular provinces rather than several smaller ones.[21]

In summer 2020, the Houthis cleared 1000 square kilometers of terrain from AQAP and ISIS forces in their Al Bayda offensive. Abu Al-Walid Al-Adani, ISIS Emir in Qifah District was killed in this offensive. With that, the largest known ISIS pocket in Yemen was eliminated.

Activities

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On 13 November 2014, IS announced that a branch of the group had been established in Yemen, following pledges of allegiance made by unidentified militants in the country. al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the strongest militant group in the country, rejected this establishment.[10][22] By December of 2014, IS had begun to build an active presence inside Yemen, and its recruitment drive brought it into direct competition with AQAP.[23][24] The branch's first attack occurred in March 2015, when it carried out suicide bombings on 2 Shia Mosques in the Yemeni capital.[1][25] In the following months it continued to carry out attacks aimed largely at civilian targets associated with the Shia Houthi movement.[7]

The group has been able to attract recruits by appealing to heightened sectarianism in the country following the outbreak of the Yemeni Civil War in 2015.[20] It has received a number of defectors from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who are drawn by the group's money and its ability to carry out regular attacks against the Houthis. This has led to increased tensions with AQAP, although the two sides had avoided clashes as of late 2015.[7][26]

On 6 October 2015, IS militants conducted a series of suicide bombings in Aden that killed 15 soldiers affiliated with the Hadi government and the Saudi-led coalition.[5] The attacks were directed against the al-Qasr hotel, which had been a headquarters for pro-Hadi officials, and also military facilities.[5] The group carried out further attacks against pro-Hadi forces, including the December 2015 assassination of Aden's governor.[27] The group experienced a major split in the same month, when dozens of its members, including military and religious leaders, publicly rejected ISIL's leader in Yemen for perceived violations of Sharia. ISIL's central command condemned the dissenters, accusing them of violating their pledge to al-Baghdadi.[28][29] A member of AQAP claimed in early 2016 that about 30 members of IS in Yemen had recently defected to his organisation, unhappy with the group's tactics and targeting of mosques and Muslim civilians.[30]

On 15 May 2016, IS militants claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed 25 police recruits in the city of Mukalla in southern Yemen. AQAP was forced out of the city in April by the Saudi-led coalition.[31] On November 15, Assailants (suspected to be Islamic State Militants)raided a residence and beheaded a civilian near Bayda, Al Bayda.[32]

On February 14 2017, an ISIS suicide car bomb blast against at a sports club in Radaa, Al Bayda, killing three houthi fighters and wound eight people more.[33] ISIS fighters shelled the house of a tribal leader, killing a civilian and wounding another, in Bakarat, Al Qurayshiyah.[34]

On 26 April 2019, IS militants claimed a bombing against a grocery store in Yakla, Al Bayda, killing eight civilians.[35] Months later, in 30 August, IS claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed 3 soldiers of security belt forces.[citation needed]

On 18 August 2020, IS members attacked tribal forces in Wadi Yakla, Al Bayda. the result of the attack is unknown.[36] The next month, IS spokesman Abu Hamza al-Qurashi offered condolences to the organization's Yemen branch confirming end of IS territorial control in the country.[37][38]

On 9 July 2022, an IS suicide bomber riding a motorcycle bombed a Houthi convoy about 160 km southeast of Sana’a, in the Afar region of al-Bayda. Several Houthis were killed or wounded.[39]

Leadership

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The first known leader of IS-YP was Abu Bilal al-Harbi, who was identified by BuzzFeed News as the leader of IS-YP on 6 July 2015, although it's unclear if he was a member from the beginning.[1] In March 2017,[40] Yemeni national Muhammad Qan’an Al-Saya’ri (a.k.a. Abu Osama al-Muhajer) became leader.[2] On 25 June 2019, Al-Muhajir was captured by Saudi coalition forces.[3]

Designation as a terrorist organization

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Country Date References
  United States 19 May 2016 [41]
  Iraq 10 March 2020 [42]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Gregory D. Johnsen (7 July 2015). "This Man Is The Leader In ISIS's Recruiting War Against Al-Qaeda In Yemen". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "S/2018/705 - E - S/2018/705". undocs.org.
  3. ^ a b "Saudi Coalition Says Head of Yemen's Islamic State Captured". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  4. ^ "Video Footage: Saudi & Yemeni Special Forces Capture ISIS Leader in Yemen". Republicanyemen.net. 25 June 2019. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Islamic State claims suicide attacks on Yemeni government, Gulf troops". Reuters. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  6. ^ "S/2024/556". United Nations. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "In Yemen chaos, Islamic State grows to rival al Qaeda". Reuters. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  8. ^ "S/2023/95". United Nations Security Council. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  9. ^ Adam Taylor (3 November 2015). "Al-Qaeda dispute with Isis devolves to name-calling". The Independent. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  10. ^ a b Aaron Y. Zelin (28 January 2015). "The Islamic State's model". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  11. ^ "Islamic State leader urges attacks in Saudi Arabia: speech". Reuters. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  12. ^ Joshua Koontz (6 May 2015). "Desknote: The Growing Threat of ISIS in Yemen". criticalthreats.org. American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  13. ^ B.A. (17 July 2022). "Sana'a squares celebrate anniversary of "Wilayah" day of Imam Ali". Yemen News Agency. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  14. ^ B.A. (17 July 2022). "Capital Sana'a celebrates "Wilayah" day with massive public events". Yemen News Agency. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  15. ^ McHugh, Richard (2 July 2013). "Aden-Abyan Islamic Army". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  16. ^ Kendall, Elisabeth (February 2019). "The Failing Islamic State Within The Failed State of Yemen". Perspectives on Terrorism. 13 (1). Terrorism Research Initiative: 77–86. JSTOR 26590510. Retrieved 7 November 2022 – via Oxford University Research Archive.
  17. ^ Sharp, Jeremy M. (4 April 2019). "Yemen: Civil War and Regional Intervention" (PDF). Independently Published. Retrieved 7 November 2022. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  18. ^ Nance, Malcolm (8 March 2016). Engel, Richard (ed.). Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe. Simon and Schuster. p. 164. ISBN 9781510711853.
  19. ^ "ISIS Global Intelligence Summary March 1 – May 7, 2015" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. 10 May 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  20. ^ a b Brian M. Perkins (7 August 2015). "Wilayat al-Yemen: The Islamic State's New Front". Jamestown. Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  21. ^ al-Tamimi, Charlie Winter, Aymenn (27 April 2019). "ISIS Relaunches as a Global Platform". The Atlantic.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ "Islamic State builds on al-Qaeda lands". BBC News. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  23. ^ Brian Todd (21 January 2015). "ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda". CNN. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  24. ^ "Yemeni Al-Qaeda leader hails ISIS gains in Iraq". Sana'a. Al Arabiya/Reuters. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  25. ^ "Yemen crisis: Islamic State claims Sanaa mosque attacks". BBC News. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  26. ^ "Seven killed in Islamic State suicide bombing in Yemeni capital". Reuters. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  27. ^ "Yemen conflict: Governor of Aden killed in Islamic State attack". BBC News. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  28. ^ Thomas Joscelyn; Bill Roggio (23 December 2015). "Divisions emerge within the Islamic State's Yemen 'province'". Long War Journal. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  29. ^ "More Islamic State members reject governor of Yemen Province". Long War Journal. 28 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  30. ^ "ISIS Fails to Gain Much Traction in Yemen". The Wall Street Journal. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2017.(subscription required)
  31. ^ "Yemen conflict: IS suicide attack kills 25 police recruits". BBC News. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  32. ^ "GTD ID:201611160038". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  33. ^ "Yemen suicide car bombing kills three in rebel-held town: Officials". Hindustan Times. 14 February 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  34. ^ "GTD ID:201711220017". Global Terrorist Database. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  35. ^ "GTD ID:201904260004". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  36. ^ "Exposing ISIS's support for the Houthis in the Al-Bayda battles". News Yemen. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  37. ^ "While everywhere he praises the accomplishments of ISIS branch (Africa, Afghanistan, Sinai etc), ISIS spokesman offers condolences to the branch in Yemen. He sounds like admitting they're down in Yemen". Twitter. 18 October 2020.
  38. ^ "IS Spokesman Rallies Fighters Across Every Region, Calls on Lone Wolves to Strike Western Nationals in KSA". Site Intelligence Group. 18 October 2020. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  39. ^ "IS Ends Military Dormancy in Yemen, Claims Suicide Bombing on Houthi Convoy in Bayda'". SITE Intelligence Group.
  40. ^ Center, Sana'a (10 July 2019). "Drone Wars – The Yemen Review, June 2019". Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  41. ^ "Terrorist Designations of ISIL-Yemen, ISIL-Saudi Arabia, and ISIL-Libya". State.gov. 19 May 2016. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  42. ^ https://moj.gov.iq/upload/pdf/4583.pdf [bare URL PDF]
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