Ansar al-Sharia, Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, said in a statement that the ongoing clashes in the southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa are being directly orchestrated by the United States and the Zionist regime.
The group claimed that regional allies, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, together with their affiliated forces, are carrying out these operations on the ground.
According to the statement, a military operations called Siham al-Sharq has been underway since August 2022 under foreign support. The group alleged that the operations have involved widespread violations against local residents.
The group added that in response, it carried out retaliatory attacks under the name Siham al-Haqq, claiming that the attacks dealt severe losses to opposing forces.
The statement reported that senior commanders were specifically targeted in separate incidents across Shabwa and Abyan, noting significant changes in the security situation, and stressed that the fighting is ongoing with the potential for further military escalation.