A senior leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has been killed in clashes with armed gangs in the province of Hadhramaut, eastern Yemen.
This was reported by Yemen News Portal, based on testimonies of local sources.
According to the local sources in Hadhramaut, the clashes broke out between Al-Qaeda elements and local drug cartels, which resulted in the death of Al-Qaeda officer Tariq bin Salmeen al- Khathiri.
The clashes erupted following a dispute between drug traffickers and elements of Al-Qaeda in the area of Jadbat Al-Saqqaan in the Hadhramaut valley.
The Al-Khathir tribe is one of the largest of the Hadhramaut Valley tribes and has lost a large number of leadership due to the deterioration of security in across Hadhramaut, which has become the scene of terrorist groups and drug trafficking.
Hadhramaut province, particularly the Valley region, is a stronghold of al-Qaeda elements active in the province, who hide in the region’s vast mountainous geographical area.
