Abyan – Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has officially claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing that struck the headquarters of the First Support and Reinforcement Brigade in Al-Mahfad district, eastern Abyan governorate, earlier this week. 

The attack, which involved two explosive-laden vehicles and a team of inghimasi (shock) fighters, killed at least four Southern Transitional Council (STC) soldiers and wounded over a dozen others.

In a statement released through its media outlet, AQAP confirmed the operation and identified four of its slain fighters, all of whom carried noms de guerre linked to northern Yemeni regions — a detail seen by analysts as a symbolic gesture to emphasize the group's national reach. The aliases referenced areas in Sana’a, Dhamar, and Hajjah governorates, suggesting the fighters hailed from or were ideologically aligned with northern Yemen.

The attack began with a suicide car bomb detonated at the entrance of the brigade’s compound, followed by armed clashes between AQAP militants and STC forces. Brigadier General Nasr Atef al-Yafei, commander of the brigade, confirmed that six AQAP attackers were killed during the assault.

Security analysts warn that the operation marks a resurgence of AQAP’s offensive capabilities in southern Yemen, particularly in Abyan, where the group has maintained a foothold despite counterterrorism efforts. The use of northern aliases in the martyrdom announcement may also signal AQAP’s intent to project unity across Yemen’s fractured geography.

The Southern Armed Forces have vowed to intensify their operations against extremist cells in Abyan and neighboring provinces. Meanwhile, local residents in Al-Mahfad remain on high alert amid fears of further attacks.