Highlights
-Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula increases activity and presence in the Kingdom
-Sister-group al-Qaeda in Yemen takes lead in operations in the Arabian Gulf
-Security forces increase anti-terror measures in the near-term, as militants continue to recruit members across the region
In early March, the Yemeni government announced the release of 170 al-Qaeda militants from its prisons on account of a signed good will pledge not to engage in any further acts of terrorism. One month later, Saudi Arabia announced it arrested 11 al-Qaeda militants, seizing arms and breaking up a cell that planned to carry out attacks and kidnap foreigners in the Kingdom. The arrest was made in the border region between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Though the majority of militants arrested were Saudi, they were likely entering back into Saudi after receiving training and logistical assistance in Yemen. Saudi officials voiced fears of al-Qaeda planning to attack the Kingdom from Yemen. General Mansoor al-Turki, the spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Interior, expressed his concern that al-Qaeda has changed its name to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to bring together the extremist Saudis who fled their country and the armed Yemenis.
The Yemeni-Saudi Nexus
The Yemeni al-Qaeda wing, dubbed al-Qaeda in Yemen (AQY), emerges as a hub for al-Qaeda operations in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Saudi Arabia. On May 15, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, stated that al-Qaeda sleeper cells still exist in the Kingdom. A primary lifeline for these growing cells is Yemen. As one Yemeni official explained, “Yemen is like a bus station,” terrorists from neighboring Saudi, as well as returning fighters from Iraq and Afghanistan, are able to filter in to Yemen, receive training and instruction, and filter back out either to Iraq, Afghanistan, or Saudi Arabia.
Saudi security forces will keep a close watch on emerging militants and sleeper cells in the Kingdom in the near term. As Prince Abdul Aziz expressed, “We will awake these cells just as we have done others.” Military cooperation between Yemen and Saudi Arabia to curb potential terror recruits and deter further attacks in the Arabian Peninsula will likely increase in the coming months. In the interim, al-Qaeda militants in Yemen will continue to gear up for future attacks.
Al-Qaeda Activity Increases in Gulf
Hundreds of al-Qaeda militants were arrested in Saudi Arabia over the last year. Nearly 1,000 militants are undergoing trial in secret courts in the Kingdom. Over 991 militants were arrested during the 2003-2005 wave of al-Qaeda-linked violence in Saudi cities, in which more than 100 foreigners and Saudis died.
In January, Saudi Arabia issued a list of its top 85 most wanted militants living abroad, most of them in Yemen, including al-Wahishi, the 33-year-old leader of the merged Yemeni-Saudi al-Qaeda. Saudi Arabia is concerned over al-Qaeda’s attempts to bring terror back to the Kingdom via Yemen. The April raid on the border cave netted 11 al-Qaeda militants planning armed robberies, likely on banks and shops in Saudi to finance their operations. The cave also included nooks set up to hold hostages who would be filmed for jihadist videos to be posted later on the Internet. Though Saudi security forces were able to break up the underground cell, al-Qaeda militants continue to coordinate attack plans and regroup in the Kingdom.
Al-Qaeda Operations Continue in the Near to Medium-Term
The number of attacks in Yemen and activity in Saudi Arabia has increased since Yemen became a breeding ground for al-Qaeda militants in the Gulf. Anti-terrorism forces carried out a number of arrests and many of these militants are currently on trial.
However, additional security measures are necessary to effectively curb the spread and movement of terrorists across borders. Yemeni and Saudi security forces may engage in further security cooperation talks to this end in the near to medium-term. In the interim, aspiring militants from Saudi Arabia will continue to cross into Yemen for militant support and training in hopes of carrying out attacks against Western economic interests and government infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
