The Southern Transitional Council (STC), the de facto authority in southern Yemen, revealed, on Sunday, developments in the “Al-Qaeda” file that may undermine Saudi efforts to recycle it in Yemen.
The official channel of the Transitional Council reported divisions among the al-Qaeda organization stationed in the southern provinces, noting that a faction led by Saad al-Awlaki is preparing to establish a new emirate in Abyan and Shabwa.
Al-Awlaki, who was recruited by the Emirati forces, appeared in a video clip for the first time since his Saudi-backed rival, Khaled Batarfi, was appointed as the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, replacing Qassim Al-Rimi, who was targeted by a US raid.
The STC revealed that the organization intensified its attacks on its forces in Abyan, the most prominent stronghold of the organization, coinciding with a new US-Saudi race to seize the file in order to redirect the organization to a special agenda.
Saudi Arabia is leading a wide media campaign in an attempt to redirect the “tide of terrorism” to the north by attempting to claim the organization’s relationship with the Anssarallah movement, despite the difference in ideology between the organization and the movement.
