On November 19, 2024, Yemen’s Ministry of Interior announced the death of one of its soldiers during a "terrorist operation" in Abyan province, located in southern Yemen.

In a statement released on the ministry's official website, the soldier, Bashar Aref, a 20-year-old resident of Lahij, was reported to have been killed while performing his national duty in the Mudiya district of the province.

The ministry confirmed that the soldier's body was transferred to a hospital before being handed over to his family for burial.

While the ministry did not directly attribute the attack to any specific group, it hinted at the involvement of Al-Qaeda and the Houthi group, both classified as terrorist organizations. The statement emphasized that "such terrorist acts will not deter security forces from combating terrorism in all its forms, which has become intertwined with the Houthi militia."

Abyan province has periodically experienced terrorist attacks targeting soldiers from the Southern Transitional Council and local police, with Al-Qaeda often claiming responsibility for these assaults.

In recent years, forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council have launched military operations aimed at purging Abyan of terrorist organizations, following the expulsion of government forces from the area.