ISIS leader arrest shows Yemeni, Arab coalition resolve

The arrest of the Yemen leader of the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) shows the resolve of the Yemeni government and Arab coalition to undermine the extremists' efforts to establish a foothold in that country, observers said.

Arab coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki on Tuesday (June 25th) announced that Saudi and Yemeni special operations forces had arrested the leader of ISIS in Yemen, Abu Osama al-Muhajir.

Several other ISIS elements were arrested during the same raid in early June, al-Maliki said, including the group's financial officer.

"A house kept under close surveillance proved the presence of the terror group's leader, and other elements, along with three women and three children," he said, confirming there had been no civilian casualties during the raid.

Yemen's Deputy Minister of Human Rights Nabil Abdul-Hafeez described al-Muhajir as "one of the most dangerous ISIS leaders".

He revealed that the Yemen ISIS emir and his companions had been located and arrested in the al-Mahrah provincial capital of al-Ghaydah in south-eastern Yemen, near the border with Oman.

"This also proves that the Arab coalition does not fight only the Houthis (Ansarallah), but is also helping state institutions restore their roles, especially combating terrorism which is threatening Yemen and the entire region," he said.

A shadowy presence

The operation is "a clear message that the [Arab] coalition and Yemen's legitimate government are mainly concerned with establishing security, peace and stability in Yemen and fighting terrorist groups and schemes", Yemeni diplomat Abdel-Wahhab Tawaf told Al-Mashareq.

"This also is a message that the region in general and Yemen in particular will not serve as swamps or hotspots for the reproduction of terrorist groups," he said.

"What is certain is that ISIS has been planning for a long time to exploit security vacuums that were created by [the Houthis' coup] and the ensuing war," political analyst Waddah al-Jalil told Al-Mashareq.

"It is true that ISIS had claimed responsibility for many terrorist operations in Yemen before Operation Decisive Storm," he said. "However, the full facts about the group's presence are still unknown."

ISIS has asserted its presence in Yemen via statements claiming responsibility for acts of terrorism that sometimes carry al-Qaeda's fingerprints, he said.

At other times, the acts of terror ISIS claims bear the hallmark of cells created by the Iran-backed Houthis and their allies, he added.

"There is clear enmity between al-Qaeda and ISIS in Yemen, and even though many al-Qaeda followers have sworn allegiance to ISIS, there is no indication that ISIS has a robust presence in Yemen," he said.

"This means the group has over the past years been building itself and preparing to present itself," al-Jalil said. "But the arrest of its leader by the coalition undermines much of its efforts and deals it a painful blow."

Little support for ISIS

The ISIS presence in Yemen is not like its presence in Syria and Iraq, al-Jalil said.

"It is not possible or easy for ISIS to have the same kind of presence in Yemen as it had in Iraq and Syria," he said. "In spite of the former security vacuums [in Yemen], the social environment there does not suit the nature of ISIS."

"ISIS has had a presence in Yemen because the group controlled some areas and tried to build its so-called state by oppressing the local population, without having any relations or links with them, unlike al-Qaeda," he added.

"Al-Qaeda in Yemen, meanwhile, was controlling many areas by building strong relations with the local population and tribal chiefs," he said.

Because ISIS does not have a firm foothold in Yemen, Yemeni and Arab coalition operations to rout the group "will be easier and more straightforward as compared to what happened with ISIS in Iraq", al-Jalil said.

Close security co-operation

Political analyst Adnan al-Humairi told Al-Mashareq that al-Muhajir's arrest shows the strength of intelligence efforts and close co-operation between Saudi and Yemeni security agencies.

"The operation was announced only after the information that was found was verified," he said. "The media was allowed to widely report on the news about 23 days after the operation, which is successful by all means."

"The arrest of the ISIS emir does not mean the end of the group, but means the beginning of collapse for the group," he said, noting that ISIS's Yemen branch was little known "and information on its leaders was very limited".

"Meanwhile, the seizure of computers and communications devices and arrest of a number of senior elements with the group leader will help identify other group elements, as well as the group's contacts, plans and movements," he said.

"That information was previously unknown, and this will weaken ISIS and put it within the reach of security agencies," he said.