U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) are once again operating in Yemen. The country has seen its share of turmoil recently and in the last few years has been in the midst of a civil war. The Iranians have been supporting the Houthi Shia rebellion and the Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP) has seen a resurgence in acquiring territory and growing membership. Other nations in the region have become involved in the conflict to include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
For a short time, the United States had pulled out its special operations forces (in early 2015) but it now appears that a small contingent is back in Yemen. This U.S. SOF element is likely advising the Yemen governmental security forces as well as working in conjunction with units from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Colin McElhinny, a program coordinator and research assistant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies at Georgetown University has penned an article with lots of details of the current conflict and U.S. SOF involvement. For more info read “Assessing U.S. Special Operations in Yemen”, Small Wars Journal, July 15, 2016.
