Battle of Mukalla (2016)

The Second Battle of Mukalla refers to an armed conflict between al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Saudi-led Coalition. The aim of the coalition offensive was to disable the newly resurgent al-Qaeda Emirate in Yemen by recapturing its capital, Mukalla. The battle led to a coalition victory, in which the coalition forces gained control of Mukalla and the surrounding coastal areas.[12][13]

Second Battle of Al Makalla
Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) and the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
Date 24–25 April 2016 (1 day) Location Mukalla, Hadramaut, Yemen Result Decisive coalition victory
Belligerents
AQAP	Hadrami Elite Forces  United Arab Emirates Supported by: Hadi-led government  Saudi Arabia United States (Airstrikes, limited involvement)
Commanders and leaders
Qasim al-Raymi Khalid Batarfi Mamoun Abdulhamid Hatem † Sa’ad bin ‘Atef al Awlaki[1] Mohammed Saleh al-Orabi[2]	Major general Faraj Al-Bassani (Commander of the Second Military Region)[3] Brigadier general Musallam Al Rashidi (Commander of UAE Force in Hadhramout)[4] Brigadier general Auni Al Qurni (Deputy commander of KSA Special Forces in Yemen)[4]
Strength
1,000+ fighters[5]	2,000 soldiers[6]
Casualties and losses
89–91 killed 30 wounded (by airstrikes) 100–800 killed (ground offensive, Saudi coalition claims)[7][8] 8–250 captured 10 killed (AQAP claims during ground offensive)[9] Total losses: 137–1,171	27 killed 60 wounded[10][11] Total losses: 87
2 Saudi citizens executed by AQAP 4 civilians killed by drone strike 8 civilians killed by air strike (AQAP claim) Total: 14 civilians killed

Background

Mukalla is the provincial capital of the Hadhramaut Governorate and the fifth largest city in Yemen. The city and most of the Southern province around it fell to Al-Qaeda control during an Al-Qaeda offensive there in early April 2015. The Islamist group eventually captured Mukalla, leading them to a new headquarter for the group, and allowing Al-Qaeda to steal more than 200 million American dollars from the Mukalla central bank, and to free more than 300 of its fighters from the provincial prison.[14] After the takeover, United States conducted many airstrikes against the group killing a big number of them.[5][15]

US drone strikes

The first incident was reported on May 11, 2015, when a U.S drone strike killed four AQAP militants traveling in a car around the Mukalla, including the commander Mamoun Abdulhamid Hatem.[16] AQAP confirmed Hatem's death in September 2018.[17]

On June 10, 2015, suspected drone strikes attacked and killed three AQAP fighters, including a commander, at the Mukalla port.[18] Six days later, on June 16, AQAP confirmed that a U.S drone strike had killed its AQAP Emir, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, and that it had replaced him with the group's military chief, Qasim al-Raymi.[19][20] A day after Nasir's death, AQAP executed two Saudi citizens in its territory after accusing them of being spies of U.S and helping them to find the location of the AQAP leaders.[21]

On June 25, a U.S drone strike killed four AQAP militants - including a commander - inside their car outside an AQAP training facility in Mukalla. Another strike hit nearby, but no casualties were reported.[22]

On July 3, four AQAP fighters were killed by a U.S drone strike inside an army base.[23]

On July 10, U.S drone strikes killed 10 AQAP fighters inside a vehicle also carrying a container loaded with weapons, including three senior leaders among the dead.[24]

On August 12, a U.S drone strike killed five AQAP members inside a car, when they traveling to Mukalla.[25]

On September 9, 2015, suspected U.S drone strikes targeted a group of AQAP militants in the Riyan Airport near Mukalla. Reports said that two to four militants were killed, along with four civilians.[26] Some days later, on September 12, five AQAP fighters were killed in another U.S drone strike inside Mukalla.

On March 23, 2016, a U.S airstrike killed more than 50 AQAP fighters in a camp in Mukalla at dinner time, and injured more than 30.[27]

The battle

UAE-led ground offensive

On April 24, 2016, UAE soldiers entered Mukalla, successfully killing around 30 AQAP fighters. On the same day, Al-Qaeda fighters began withdrawing from the city to other parts of Hadramaut Province. This occurred after negotiations with local tribesmen and clerics, allegedly to avoid injury to civilians and destruction of the city from attacks against AQAP fighters.[28] By April 25, Pro-Hadi Government forces and UAE forces had fully recaptured Mukalla, along with the rest of the coastal regions of the Hadramaut Province.[13] On the same day, coalition officials stated that more than 800 AQAP fighters had been killed in the fighting, but that number was disputed by Yemeni journalists who covered the event, who said that the group retreated after negotiations. By 26 April, Mukalla and the rest of the surrounding towns and cities had been cleared of AQAP forces.[13][29][30][31]

US Defense Secretary James Mattis called the UAE-led operation a model for American troops, citing how the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces liberated the port of Mukalla from AQAP forces in 36 hours after being held by AQAP for more than a year.[32]

US support

On 6 May, Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, confirmed that US forces were deployed near the city of Mukalla during the battle, and but did not disclose the number of troops.[33]

Aftermath

Following the battle, the UAE established a primary base of operations against AQAP in the liberated city.[34] The special operations base has enabled the CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to target AQAP’s strongest cells in Yemen and allowed for an enhanced UAE-US cooperation against AQAP.[34]

References

1. Roggio, Bill (31 March 2016). "US strike on camp targeted local AQAP fighters, not external network, commander claims". FDD's Long War Journal.
2. "Yemeni forces 'captured 250 Qaeda' after city retaken". Al Arabiya. 13 May 2016.
3. Saeed Al Batati, Correspondent. "Governor of Hadramout arrives in liberated Al Mukalla". GulfNews. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
4. "Mukalla's liberation sends a warning to supporters of terrorism, says UAE commander". The National.
5. "Al Qaeda emerges stronger and richer from Yemen war". Al Arabiya English. April 8, 2016.
6. "Yemeni forces seize main oil terminal from al Qaeda". Retrieved 30 April 2016.
7. "Arab coalition kills 800 Qaeda fighters - Yemen government forces make gains - Kuwait Times". Kuwait Times. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
8. "Arab coalition enters AQAP stronghold in port city of Mukalla, Yemen". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
9. "Yemen govt forces seize Qaeda-held military camp". Al Arabiya. 30 April 2016.
10. "Yemen: 27 soldiers killed, 60 wounded in Mukalla offensive against Al-Qaeda militants". The Indian Express. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
11. "27 Yemeni troops killed in Mukalla offensive". Al Arabiya English. April 27, 2016.
12. Agence France-Presse (25 April 2016). "Saudi coalition claims it killed 800 al-Qaeda fighters in Yemen". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
13. Saleh al-Batati in Aden, Yemen & Asa Fitch in Dubai (25 April 2016). "Yemeni Troops Retake al Qaeda-Controlled City". WSJ. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
14. Umberto Bacchi. "Yemen: Al-Qaeda frees 300 in al-Mukalla prison attack". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
15. "حضرموت : القاعدة تختطف مسؤول أمني رفيع". Retrieved 30 April 2016.
16. "AQAP's infiltration of Yemen's Sunni tribes reduces effectiveness of precision airstrikes, sustains jihadists' expansion". Retrieved 30 April 2016.
17. says, Verneoz (September 5, 2018). "AQAP claims Saudi spy network targeted its leaders | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org.
18. "Drone strike kills three al-Qaeda suspects in Yemen". Al Arabiya English. June 10, 2015.
19. Orlando Crowcroft. "Yemen: Who is the new leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Qasim al-Raymi?". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
20. Jethro Mullen, CNN (16 June 2015). "Al Qaeda No. 2 leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi killed in Yemen". CNN. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
21. Mohammed Mukhashaf (17 June 2015). "Al Qaeda kills two Saudis accused of spying for America: residents". Reuters. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
22. "Drone strike kills four 'al-Qaeda militants' in Yemen". Al Arabiya English. June 25, 2015.
23. Reuters Editorial (3 July 2015). "Drone attack on al Qaeda in Yemen kills four: witnesses". Reuters. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
24. "Drone strikes kill 10 Qaeda suspects in Yemen". Retrieved 30 April 2016.
25. Reuters Editorial (12 August 2015). "Suspected U.S. drone strike kills five al Qaeda militants in Yemen". Reuters. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
26. المصدر أونلاين - خاص. "المصدر أونلاين - مصدر: غارة لطائرة امريكية بدون طيار تقتل 2 من تنظيم القاعدة و4 مدنيين في المكلا". المصدر أونلاين. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
27. Reuters Editorial (23 March 2016). "Strikes kill at least 50 at Qaeda Yemen camp: medics, official". Reuters. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
28. "Times Of Oman :: Troops enter Al Qaeda-held Yemeni city of Mukalla". Times of Oman. 24 April 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
29. "Al-Qaida's Yemeni Affiliate Loses al-Mukalla to Coalition Forces". NewsBeat Social. 25 April 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
30. "800 al-Qaeda fighters killed in Yemen offensive". Al Arabiya English. April 25, 2016.
31. "Yemeni govt troops retake key Qaeda-held city". Al Arabiya English. April 24, 2016.
32. "US-UAE counter-terrorism operations on the rise in Yemen". "The National". 15 March 2018.
33. "U.S. boots on the ground in Yemen will be 'short term'". 6 May 2016.
34. "Hunting AQAP in Yemen: Joint UAE-US Special Operations Base in Mukalla (IMINT)". T Intelligence. Retrieved 15 September 2018.