The Saudi government’s attempt to crack down on militants may be al-Qaeda’s gain, as in the wake of laws punishing Saudis who have gone overseas to fight for Islamist militant factions there has been an influx of battle-hardened Saudi fighters to Yemen.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has reportedly seen dozens of recruits, Saudi nationals fresh from Syria and Iraq, providing expertise to the faction and training the eager recruits in bomb-making.
Yemeni officials credited the influx of Saudi fighters with a growing number of major attacks across the nation, as AQAP seems to be spreading outside of its traditional sphere of influence in the tribal areas.
This may also explain the dramatic increase in US drone strikes against Yemen in recent weeks. With six attacks in the past week and a half, the US seems interested in huge escalation in the nation.
