Hadramout (South24 Center)

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 A senior commander of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) terror outfit, known as ’Abu Al-Baraa Al-Hadrami’, was killed on Sunday evening (April 13) in a suspected US drone strike on his vehicle on Al-Abr Road in Hadramout Valley, an informed source told ‘South24 Center’.

According to the source, the airstrike occurred at 8 pm local time, directly targeting the AQAP commander in his vehicle as he was travelling from Marib Governorate.

However, no additional information was available about the fate of others in the vehicle or their identities at the time of reporting.

Simultaneously, another drone strike targeted two vehicles transporting militants nearby on the same road. Eyewitnesses reported that one individual was burned beyond recognition, while three others managed to flee on foot toward the junction leading to Shabwa Governorate.

Local sources told ‘South24 Center’ that US drones have maintained intensive flight operations over Hadramout Valley for several days, covering areas from Al-Abr and Al-Khasha in the west, to Seiyun in the east, including the northern plateau region.

Cross-referenced security information indicates that terrorist elements – some believed connected to mid-level Houthi operatives – have been systematically infiltrating Hadramout Valley since Ramadan (March). Sources suggest these movements likely result from prior coordination between multiple parties.

Notably, these developments are taking place amid a persistent security vacuum in areas of Hadramout Valley where the 1st Military Region forces are deployed. Local residents continue demanding their withdrawal due to the force's composition of thousands of Northern-origin fighters.

Connected Counterterrorism Operations

The suspected US drone strikes come in the wake of a precision ground operation carried out by Southern forces at dawn on Sunday in Ataq, the capital of Shabwa Governorate, which targeted an AQAP hideout. A military source confirmed the operation resulted in the death of an operative known as ’Abu Zaid Al-Yafa'i‘ and the arrest of another named ’Abu Ibrahim Al-Hadrami’.

Counterterrorism forces and Shabwa Defense Forces participated in the raid, which was executed based on precise intelligence believed directly connected to a US strike Saturday evening near Ataq's Al-Nasr military camp that killed one unidentified individual.

Documented Houthi-Militant Ties

Despite repeated Houthi denials of any relationship with the Al-Qaeda, international reports – including the 2024 UN Panel of Experts report – have documented connections between the AQAP branches in Yemen and Somalia and the Houthi group, particularly regarding mutual interests and transactions, including weapons.

Security Implications

These drone strikes – which the US has not officially acknowledged – heighten expectations of escalated counterterrorism operations in Hadramout Valley. The developments come as calls grow louder for restructuring the region's security and military apparatus to prevent extremist expansion and restore comprehensive security control.