Shabwa governor says al-Qaeda cells linked to Houthis were seized

SHABWA — The governor of Shabwa province in Yemen said that security forces had seized al-Qaeda cells that were working with the Houthis, according to a post by Al Arabiya on Telegram published on 19 October 2026.

The post carried the governor's remarks in a headline and short summary. It did not include the full interview, and it did not give details of the arrests, the number of people held, or where the cells were operating. Zenga News has not been able to see the full interview or any official statement on the matter.

The Telegram post is the only source for the claim. Neither the Shabwa governorate nor the Yemeni government has published a separate statement that Zenga News could find. The Houthis, who control Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, have not responded in the material available.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the group's Yemen-based branch, has been active in southern and eastern Yemen, including Shabwa, for many years. Shabwa is an oil-producing province on the Gulf of Aden. Reports of cooperation between al-Qaeda and the Houthis have been made before, but the groups are opposed to each other ideologically, and such reports have been difficult to verify independently.

Zenga News will update this report if further details or official confirmation become available.