Highlights
– Killings bare trademark of al-Qaeda-style attacks, as foreign deaths among Shia rebels are rare occurrence
– There has been no claim of responsibility for the killings, and Shia rebels deny involvement in the attack
– We believe al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula may have been involved in the attack; similar attacks expected in the near to medium-term
On June 15, 2009 Yemeni security forces found the bodies of nine foreigners in the northern mountainous region of Yemen – home to both, Houthi Zaidi Shia rebels and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). According to security officials, the foreigners were abducted in the northern Saada region on June 12 . The group was comprised of seven Germans, including three children and two women nurses, a British national and a female South Korean teacher. Conflicting reports suggest that at least seven of the nine foreigners, including one child and three women, were killed. Other news reports suggest the bodies of all nine foreigners were found mutilated in an area known as to be a hideout for AQAP militants.
Although no claim of responsibility for the killings has been made, and Zaidi rebels deny involvement in the killings, we believe the incident was a combination of Zaidi rebels and AQAP militants. Just one week before the attack, AQAP militants released the ninth issue of Sada Al-Malahim (Echo of Wars), the group’s e-journal. The feature article entitled “The Rules of Targeting Tourists” called for the killing of foreign visitors and Western tourists in Yemen. As Zaidi rebels are not known to kill foreigners, especially in the brutal manner exemplified by jihadists, we believe AQAP likely played a large role in the attack. We expect similar cooperative initiatives to continue in the future, as both Zaidi rebels and AQAP share an interest in attacking foreigners in northern Yemen.
Al-Qaeda’s Recent Call to Kill Westerners in Muslim Countries
AQAP and its sister group, al-Qaeda in Yemen (AQY), have targeted foreigners in Yemen in the past. One of the group’s latest attacks occurred on March 15, when an AQY militant detonated a bomb he was wearing in front of a group of South Korean tourists, killing 5 and injuring 4 . The attack was justified in AQAP’s Echo of Wars. The author asserts that the South Korean tourists were, “without a doubt the people of war and aggression against Islam and Muslims…” and were in, “…the crusader alliance with America against Islam, and sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.” Likewise, in accordance with AQAP standards, the South Korean teacher, along with the other foreigners found dead on June 15, was also a justified killing.
The conclusion of the article is that tourists are not innocent bystanders but representatives of their governments and therefore, all tourists, including women and children, constitute legitimate targets for jihaidst activity in the Muslim world. Based on the AQAP’s call to attack foreigners in Yemen, we believe AQAP carried out the recent attack in conjunction with the Zaidi rebels.
Houthi Zaidi Rebels’ Shared Interests with al-Qaeda
Although the northern Shia rebels have carried out deadly attacks in the past, they have never conducted such a grand attack on foreign travelers in Yemen. However, the rebels have displayed a shared interest with al-Qaeda militants in recent years.
In February 2008, Yemeni security forces foiled an attempted rebel plot to blow up a crude oil pipeline in the Marib province – a well-known al-Qaeda target of interest (Previous Report). The thwarted attack demonstrated the rebel’s ability to learn from al-Qaeda styles and tactics, and demonstrated a shared interest to attack similar targets. Zaidi rebels may be learning from and adopting terrorist strategies in order to attract more government and international attention to their concerns and interests.
In the recent attack, Houthi rebels denied their involvement in the foreigners’ killings, but we suspect they may have abducted the foreigners and left it to AQAP militants to carryout the executions. Ultimately, the incident has brought international attention to the Shia rebels once again, and has provided a scapegoat for the potential “real killers,” the AQAP. Such teamwork may bring desired results for both groups in the near future. We anticipate more cooperation between Houthi rebels and al-Qaeda militants in the near-term. As such, we expect similar attacks and kidnappings to occur in the near to medium-term.