Battle of Al Mukalla (2016)

The Second Battle of Al 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, Al Mukalla. The battle led to a Coalition victory, in which the Hadi-led Government regained control of Al Mukalla and the surrounding coastal areas.

Background

Main article: Battle of Al Mukalla (2015)

Al 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 Al Mukalla, leading them to a new headquarter for the group, and allowing Al-Qaeda to steal more than 200 million American dollars from the Al Mukalla central bank, and to free more than 300 of its fighters from the provincial prison. After the takeover, United States conducted many airstrikes against the group killing a big number of them.

Airstrike campaign before ground offensive

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. On June 10, 2015, suspected drone strikes attacked and killed three AQAP fighters, including a commander, at the Mukalla port. 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. 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. 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. In July 3, four AQAP fighters were killed by a U.S drone strike inside an army base. 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. On August 12, a U.S drone strike killed five AQAP members inside a car, when they traveling to Mukalla. On September 9, 2015, suspected U.S drone strikes targeted a group of AQAP militants in the Riyan Airport near al Mukalla. Reports said that two to four militants were killed, along with four civilians. Some days later, on September 12, five AQAP fighters were killed in another U.S drone strike inside Al Mukalla.

Then on March 23, 2016, a U.S airstrike killed more than 50 AQAP fighters in a camp in Al Mukalla at dinner time, and injured more than 30.

Ground offensive

On April 24, 2016, UAE soldiers, supported by fighter jets, entered Al Mukalla, 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. By April 25, Pro-Hadi Government forces and UAE forces had fully recaptured Al Mukalla, along with the rest of the coastal regions of the Hadramaut Province. 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 that covered the event, who said that the group retreated after negotiations. By 26 April, Al Mukalla and the rest of the surrounding towns and cities had been cleared of AQAP forces.

US involvement

On 6 May, Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, confirmed that US force was deployed near the near the city of Al-Mukalla and would not disclose the number of troops.

Aftermath

Five days after the AQAP withdrawal, on April 30, Saudi coalition and Hadi loyalists tracked down AQAP fighters in the city of Qoton, just outside of Al Mukalla, and took over a camp that was in their control. Eight AQAP fighters were captured during the Qoton raid. On the same day AQAP declared that the reason it had left Mukalla during the April 25 battle was to protect the civilians and the city from injury and destruction. AQAP also said that it suffered fewer than ten casualties in the fighting. In its statement AQAP claimed that eight civilians had been killed by a Saudi airstrike at the beginning of the battle.