Joint Yemen-coalition raid kills senior Islamic State figure
ADEN – Yemen’s Central State Security Agency said on Tuesday that a senior Islamic State (ISIS) leader, Abu Hudhayfa al-Ansari, had been killed during a joint operation involving special forces from the Coalition Supporting Legitimacy and Yemen’s counter-terrorism forces.
The agency said the operation had been launched with the aim of capturing Ansari, but ended with his death during the raid.
Yemen’s state television, citing the security agency, said the operation was carried out with support from the country’s 22nd Counter-Terrorism Brigade. It did not disclose where the operation took place or provide details of the circumstances surrounding al-Ansari’s death.
The joint forces left the area after completing the operation, the agency said, adding that there were no civilian casualties or damage to civilian property.
The killing represents a significant blow to Islamic State’s presence in Yemen, where extremist groups have sought to exploit years of political instability and conflict to establish operational networks and safe havens.
Ansari was regarded as a prominent ISIS figure and was named the organisation’s spokesman in August 2023. He subsequently appeared in several of the group’s propaganda recordings, including an audio message in January 2024.
He resurfaced in February 2026 in another audio recording in which he attacked Syria’s government and called on ISIS members to continue fighting.
The operation reflects the continued focus of Yemeni and coalition forces on targeting senior extremist figures as they seek to disrupt militant networks and prevent them from rebuilding their capabilities in remote and mountainous areas.
ISIS and al-Qaeda have both maintained a presence in Yemen, taking advantage of the country’s prolonged instability and fragmented security environment. Yemeni forces, backed by regional partners, have carried out operations against militant cells and senior commanders in several parts of the country.
The targeting of senior ISIS figures is also aimed at disrupting the group’s ability to organise attacks, recruit fighters and maintain links with other militant networks in the region.
The operation comes as Yemen and its regional partners continue to face wider security challenges around some of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes. The Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea have become increasingly exposed to militant activity and wider regional tensions, raising concerns over the security of commercial shipping.
The Yemeni agency did not provide further information on the intelligence that led to Ansari being located or on whether other members of his network were detained or killed in the operation.
The agency said the forces involved had completed their mission and withdrawn from the area without civilian casualties.