Yemen announced on Tuesday the killing of the spokesman of the ISIS terrorist group Abou Huzayfah al-Ansari during an operation carried out by the Arab coalition special forces, with the support of Yemen's counter-terrorism force, "Force 22" in Seiyun city. Informed Yemeni sources told Asharq Al-Awsat said the spokesman’s original name is Mithaq Thabet Haitham al-Hujaili, a Yemeni who hails from the Hajjah province. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources said he was the spokesman of the entire terrorist organization, underlining the significance of the operation and his position in the group. State security media in Yemen said the operation was carried out on Tuesday as part of the cooperation and exchange of intelligence between the State Security Service and Arab coalition joint command. The forces were able to eliminate the target while he was hiding in a home in Seiyun, it added in a statement. It said he was with eight civilians at the time, including a man, two women and five children. The forces managed to escort the women and children to a safe place. They were not harmed in the operation. The other man was arrested. He was injured while resisting arrest. The statement said that no one else was harmed and no property was damaged in the operation. The forces discovered an explosives belt, which was detonated to avoid harming civilians, at the house. Also discovered were a laptop and five mobile phones. The operation was declared a success. The statement did not provide more information about Abou Huzayfah or the details about how the forces were able to locate his whereabouts. The operation took place as ISIS has lost its ability to maintain control over areas in Yemen following years of security and military operations against it. The terrorist group had first emerged in the country in 2014, exploiting the collapse of state institutions in wake of the Houthi coup and the expansion of the war. It managed to establish a presence in several regions, including al-Bayda, Hadramawt and Shabwa, before being dealt successive defeats that diminished its power. The group then resorted to operating through limited cells and hiding in remote or residential areas and carrying out sporadic attacks using explosives. The State Security Service vowed that the Yemeni government will continue to crack down on wanted terrorists and bring them to justice in cooperation with the Saudi-led Arab coalition and international partners.
