Yemeni al-Qaeda Commander Killed by Houthis in Maarib Fighting

Heavy fighting in central Yemen’s Maarib Province Friday saw the death of Ibrahim Ali al-Salafi, a top military leader in al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

AQAP, the local al-Qaeda affiliate, was a substantial power before the Saudi-led invasion of Yemen, and at times held substantial territory along the southern coast. During the Arab Spring they dominated Abyan, and fought the Saudi-backed Hadi government.

With a war between the Shi’ite Houthis and the Saudi-led alliance, AQAP has struggled to find an identity outside of carrying out terror attacks. In general, the group has tried to serve as Islamist auxiliaries for the pro-Saudi forces.

Islamist groups set up shop in the area near Houthi territory ahead of the war, with the blessing of the Saudis. Though they weren’t AQAP at the time, they were natural allies when the war began, as much was made of the Sunni Arab alliance fighting Shi’ites.

It’s not a connection for them to be proud of, and one that the US has shied away from noticing. The Saudis’ historical links to al-Qaeda as a faction of convenience was inevitably brought to bear in the Saudis’ long, struggling Yemen War.

A US recognition of what’s actually going on, coupled with anti-al-Qaeda policy, would leave the US more inclined to side with the group fighting them, the Houthis.

That wasn’t going to happen, of course. The US spent an entire Syrian War hostile toward the Assad government and unfortunately favorable to Islamist rebels, more than a few with al-Qaeda ties. In Yemen, the interest in cheering the Saudis erased any questioning of who the Saudis were fighting alongside, or why.

AQAP doing fighting for the Saudi side is apparently what happened Friday, with the AQAP forces trying to hold the Houthis back in southern Maarib. The Houthis were pushing to try to take Maarib City, as they have been for months.

It’s not clear how influential any given figure is in AQAP, or how much the loss of one will impact the group. In general, al-Qaeda affiliates are very efficient at replacing lost leadership.