The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 2017 to 2025 Middle East
Terrorist group(s) Yemen, in 9 editions.
The entry for Yemen published Terrorist group(s) in 9 editions of 35, from 2017 to 2025. The text changed in 8 editions. Each is shown as published. Terrorist group(s) in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 8
- the first edition with it
- 2017
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Terrorist groups - home based” (2017 to 2019), “Terrorist groups - foreign based” (2017 to 2019) and “Terrorist group(s)” (2020 to 2025).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2025 edition
Changed since 2024Published as “Terrorist groups - home based”
- aim(s):
- overthrow the Yemen Government and, ultimately, establish a regional Islamic caliphate;
- eradicate Western influence and presence from Yemen and the rest of the Arabian Peninsula
- area(s) of operation:
- a core al-Qa'ida affiliate that was headquartered in Al Mukalla, Hadramawt Governorate, until Yemeni forces and their allies drove AQAP from the city in April 2016;
- most active in southern, eastern, and central Yemen, especially in Abyan, Al Baydah, Hadramawt, Sabwah, and Ma'rib governorates;
- conducts ongoing attacks against Yemeni Government forces, officials, and facilities and Western embassies, diplomats, tourists, and Shia Muslims, oil facilities, and merchant ships, as well as Western and Saudi Arabian interests;
- assessed in 2015 to have up to 4,000 members
Published as “Terrorist groups - foreign based”
- aim(s):
- overthrow the Yemen Government and, ultimately, establish a pan-Islamic caliphate under a strict Salafi Muslim interpretation of Sharia
- area(s) of operation:
- operational throughout Yemen,
- in collaboration with its affiliate organization,
- al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
- aim(s):
- replace the Yemen Government with an Islamic state and implement ISIL's strict interpretation of Sharia
- area(s) of operation:
- operational primarily in 'Adan and the capital, Sanaa, where operatives conduct attacks against Shia Muslims and government facilities and personnel;
- claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack in to 'Adan, where a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device on 29 August 2016, killing approximately 70 new recruits standing in line to register to join the military;
- suicide bombers detonated explosives on 20 March 2015 inside two Shia Muslim mosques in Sanaa, killing at least 137 worshippers and injuring over 300, which marked the first attack ISIL had claimed in Yemen;
- actively recruits Sunni Muslim youths;
- ISIL refers to Yemen as its Wilayat Sanaa;
- ISIL-Yemen was placed in the US State Department's designated global terror category under Executive Order 13224 on 19 May 2016
aim(s): overthrow the Yemen Government and, ultimately, establish a regional Islamic caliphate; eradicate Western influence and presence from Yemen and the rest of the Arabian Peninsula
area(s) of operation: a core al-Qa'ida affiliate that was headquartered in Al Mukalla, Hadramawt Governorate, until Yemeni forces and their allies drove AQAP from the city in April 2016; most active in southern, eastern, and central Yemen, especially in Abyan, Al Baydah, Hadramawt, Sabwah, and Ma'rib governorates; conducts ongoing attacks against Yemeni Government forces, officials, and facilities and Western embassies, diplomats, tourists, and Shia Muslims, oil facilities, and merchant ships, as well as Western and Saudi Arabian interests; assessed in 2015 to have up to 4,000 members
aim(s): overthrow the Yemen Government and, ultimately, establish a pan-Islamic caliphate under a strict Salafi Muslim interpretation of Sharia
area(s) of operation: operational throughout Yemen, in collaboration with its affiliate organization, al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
aim(s): replace the Yemen Government with an Islamic state and implement ISIL's strict interpretation of Sharia
area(s) of operation: operational primarily in 'Adan and the capital, Sanaa, where operatives conduct attacks against Shia Muslims and government facilities and personnel; claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack in to 'Adan, where a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device on 29 August 2016, killing approximately 70 new recruits standing in line to register to join the military; suicide bombers detonated explosives on 20 March 2015 inside two Shia Muslim mosques in Sanaa, killing at least 137 worshippers and injuring over 300, which marked the first attack ISIL had claimed in Yemen; actively recruits Sunni Muslim youths; ISIL refers to Yemen as its Wilayat Sanaa; ISIL-Yemen was placed in the US State Department's designated global terror category under Executive Order 13224 on 19 May 2016
Published as “Terrorist groups - home based”
- al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP):
- aim(s): overthrow the Yemen Government and Huthi forces and, ultimately, establish an Islamic caliphate;
- eradicate US and Western influence and presence from Yemen and the rest of the Arabian Peninsula
- area(s) of operation:
a core al-Qa'ida affiliate; most active in southern, eastern, and central Yemen (April 2018)
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Yemen (ISIS-Yemen): aim(s): replace the Yemen Government and Huthi forces with an Islamic state and implement ISIS's strict interpretation of sharia
- area(s) of operation:
- operational primarily in south and central Yemen, where operatives conduct attacks against Huthi forces, Shia Muslims, and government facilities and personnel (April 2018)
Rewritten: too little of the 2017 text remains to mark the changes.
al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP): aim(s): overthrow the Yemen Government and Huthi forces and, ultimately, establish an Islamic caliphate; eradicate US and Western influence and presence from Yemen and the rest of the Arabian Peninsula
area(s) of operation: a core al-Qa'ida affiliate; most active in southern, eastern, and central Yemen (April 2018)
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Yemen (ISIS-Yemen): aim(s): replace the Yemen Government and Huthi forces with an Islamic state and implement ISIS's strict interpretation of sharia
area(s) of operation: operational primarily in south and central Yemen, where operatives conduct attacks against Huthi forces, Shia Muslims, and government facilities and personnel (April 2018)
Published as “Terrorist groups - home based”
- al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP):
- aim(s): overthrow the Yemen Government and Huthi forces and, ultimately, establish an Islamic caliphate;
- eradicate US and Western influence and presence from Yemen and the rest of the Arabian Peninsula
- area(s) of operation:
a core al-Qa'ida affiliate; most active in southern, eastern, and central Yemen (2018)
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Yemen (ISIS-Yemen): aim(s): replace the Yemen Government and Huthi forces with an Islamic state and implement ISIS's strict interpretation of sharia
- area(s) of operation:
- operational primarily in south and central Yemen, where operatives conduct attacks against Huthi forces, Shia Muslims, and government facilities and personnel (2018)
Published as “Terrorist groups - foreign based”
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps -- Qods Force (IRGC-QF): aim(s): spread Iran’s influence and counter Saudi and UAE by supporting Yemen’s Houthi government through funding, training, logistical support, and weapons, to include ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology
- area(s) of operations:
- Yemen, including the Red Sea (2019)
al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP): aim(s): overthrow the Yemen Government and Huthi forces and, ultimately, establish an Islamic caliphate; eradicate US and Western influence and presence from Yemen and the rest of the Arabian Peninsula
area(s) of operation: a core al-Qa'ida affiliate; most active in southern, eastern, and central Yemen (April 2018) (2018)
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Yemen (ISIS-Yemen): aim(s): replace the Yemen Government and Huthi forces with an Islamic state and implement ISIS's strict interpretation of sharia
area(s) of operation: operational primarily in south and central Yemen, where operatives conduct attacks against Huthi forces, Shia Muslims, and government facilities and personnel (April 2018) (2018)
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps -- Qods Force (IRGC-QF): aim(s): spread Iran’s influence and counter Saudi and UAE by supporting Yemen’s Houthi government through funding, training, logistical support, and weapons, to include ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology
area(s) of operations: Yemen, including the Red Sea (2019)
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force;
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen;
- al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (2020)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Rewritten: too little of the 2019 text remains to mark the changes.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (2020)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force;
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen;
- al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (2020)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force;
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen;
- al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force;
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen;
- al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Hizballah
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) (AQAP), Hizballah
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force;
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen;
- al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Hizballah
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Hizballah
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T the Terrorism reference guide
- Ansarallah (Houthis);
- Hizballah;
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force;
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) - Yemen;
- al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
Ansarallah (Houthis); Hizballah; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) - Yemen; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Hizballah (AQAP)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
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Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Yemen: Terrorist group(s).” The World Factbook, 2017–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/yemen/terrorist-group-s.