Sana’a, — Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has sustained a series of severe blows throughout 2025, losing at least 14 senior commanders and 10 additional operatives in successive counterterrorism operations carried out across southern and eastern Yemen.

According to regional security sources, the strikes—conducted between January and September—targeted AQAP hideouts and leadership gatherings in the governorates of Shabwa, Hadhramaut, Abyan, and Al-Bayda. The operations were reportedly coordinated by international and regional counterterrorism forces, with support from local security units.

Among the high-profile figures eliminated were field commanders responsible for planning attacks against military and civilian targets, as well as facilitators involved in recruitment and logistics. Intelligence reports suggest that the group’s operational capacity has been significantly degraded, with internal communication and leadership cohesion disrupted.

Security analysts note that the sustained targeting of AQAP’s leadership marks one of the most intense counterterrorism campaigns in Yemen in recent years. The losses have forced the group to retreat from several strongholds and adopt more decentralized tactics.

Local officials praised the operations as a critical step toward stabilizing conflict-affected regions and curbing extremist threats. However, they warned that AQAP remains capable of regrouping and exploiting security vacuums if long-term governance and development efforts are not reinforced.

The campaign reflects growing regional momentum to dismantle terrorist networks and restore security across Yemen’s liberated territories.