...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
News] Abu Omar Riyad al-Nahdi, a former leader in al-Qaeda and a prominent associate of the head of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS) in Iraq, has officially launched a new political movement called "Current of Change and Liberation" in the city of Seiyun, Hadhramaut Valley, well-informed sources reported.
The sources confirmed that al-Nahdi, who defected from the takfiri
...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed...organization in 2018, was previously known by "Rafiq al-Shar’a" due to his close ties with Ahmed al-Shar’a (Abu Mohammed al-Julani), the leader of HTS—a
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
-backed faction that later declared itself the governing authority in Syria after Bashir
Pencilneckal-Assad
Scourge of Qusayr...
’s departure from power.
The new movement has reportedly gained significant traction in the valley’s districts, coinciding with humanitarian activities carried out by the Ottoman Turkish Red Islamic Thingy (Hilal al-Ahmar al-Turki) in recent years, facilitated by leaders of al-Islah Party (Yemen’s Moslem Brüderbund affiliate).
Notably, al-Nahdi previously fought with al-Qaeda in Iraq before announcing his defection and undergoing political training, raising questions about his true objectives, regional affiliations, and activities under a political cover in Hadhramaut’s oil-rich areas. These regions are controlled by factions of the First Military District, which is loyal to Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a leading figure in al-Islah.
Observers view the announcement of this movement in Seiyun as a clear message from al-Islah to curb the ambitions of the UAE-backed Southern Translation Council (STC), which has failed since August 2022 to fully control Hadhramaut Valley after declaring "Operation Arrows of the East."
Saudi-led forces blocked the STC’s military advances after the factions seized al-Islah’s camps in Shabwa and Abyan
...a governorate of Yemen. The region was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army terrorist group until it dropped the name and joined al-Qaeda. Its capital is Zinjibar. In March 2011, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula declared the governate an
Islamic Emirateafter seizing control of the region. The New York Times fastidiously reported that those in control, while Islamic hard boyz, are not in fact al-Qaeda, but something else that looks, tastes, smells, and acts the same. Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region when President-for-Life Saleh was tossed and the carnage continues...
.
This comes at a time when Hadhramaut Governorate is witnessing intense political conflicts between the UAE and Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start..., carried out through local proxies such as the STC, the Hadhramaut Tribes Alliance, and al-Jami’, the latter two being headed by tribal sheikh Amr bin Habrish al-Ali, who is aligned with Saudi Arabia. His armed forces took control of the oil fields in July of last year and are now moving to encircle the coastal districts controlled by UAE-backed factions, including al-Rayyan Airport and the al-Dhaba oil terminal, which have been under Emirati control since 2016.