Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) continues to grow in influence around southern Yemen, and today carried out a number of attacks marking the deadliest single strike of 2013, leaving 56 security forces killed.
The attacks both targeted sites in the Shabwa Province, with the first hitting a military camp responsible for securing oilfields. 38 soldiers were killed in this attack.
Later in the morning, a second attack targeted a checkpoint in Maifaa, killing eight soldiers, and a third strike saw a suicide car bombing detonate near al-Nushaima, killing 10 more.
The attacks are the latest indications of AQAP’s resilience, and despite repeated claims from the Hadi government that the group is on the brink of defeat, that they continue to have significant capabilities to carry out attacks across the nation.