al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula | |
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القاعدة في جزيرة العرب Participant in the al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen, the Yemeni Revolution, the Yemeni Civil War, and the Global War on Terror |
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The Black Standard used by AQAP
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Active | January 2009 – present |
Ideology | Qutbism |
Leaders |
Nasir al-Wuhayshi † (2011–15) Qasim al-Raymi (2015–Present) |
Headquarters |
Mukalla, Hadhramaut Governorate(2015-2016) Zinjibar, Abyan Governorate (2015-2016) |
Area of operations | |
Strength | 12,000 (claimed 2010) |
Part of | |
Merger of | al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and al-Qaeda in Yemen |
Allies |
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Opponents |
State opponents Non-state opponents |
Battles and wars |
State opponents
Non-state opponents
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Arabic: تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, translit. Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit. 'al-Qaeda Organization in the Arabian Peninsula' or تنظيم قاعدة الجهاد في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, "Organization of Jihad's Base in the Arabian Peninsula"), or AQAP, also known as Ansar al-Sharia in Yemen (Arabic: جماعة أنصار الشريعة, Jamā‘at Anṣār ash-Sharī‘ah, "Group of the Helpers of the Sharia"), is a militant Islamist organization, primarily active in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It was named for al-Qaeda, and says it is subordinate to that group and its now-deceased leader Osama bin Laden, a Saudi citizen of Yemeni heritage. It is considered the most active of al-Qaeda's branches, or "franchises," that emerged due to weakening central leadership. The U.S government believes AQAP to be the most dangerous al-Qaeda branch due to its emphasis on attacking the far enemy and its reputation for plotting attacks on overseas targets. The group established an Emirate during the 2011 Yemeni Revolution.