Just a few months ago, President Obama could point to Yemen as a positive example of U.S. counter-terrorism policy. The resignation last week of Yemen’s President, Prime Minister, and cabinet has, however, thrown the future of the country, and U.S. counter-terrorism (CT) policy, into disarray.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), operating under the name "Ansar al-Shariah," claimed concurrent raids on camps of Yemeni security forces in the cities of Qatn and Sayun in Hadramawt province, and claimed the ambush of soldiers in Shabwa.

On July 4, a group of six fighters reportedly attacked the al-Wadia border post, two of whom managed to enter the Saudi city of Sharurah and blew themselves up after police surrounded them inside a government building. Two days later, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released a set of pictures featuring scenes from the attack.