One of the early consequences of the Saudi invasion of Yemen was that the local affiliate, called al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), seized substantial territory in the south. Still, the US views it as something of an active threat, and reportedly killed a senior commander within AQAP, along with several others, in a drone strike in the al-Mahra Governorate on Thursday. The name of the slain commander has yet to be disclosed, but locals described him as a “high-ranking” figure in AQAP’s eastern Yemeni operations. That the strike happened in al-Mahra may be significant, as that governorate has traded hands multiple times in recent weeks. The area being on-again, off-again contested may be providing AQAP an opportunity to establish a new foothold, and al-Mahra, which is more off the beaten path as South Yemen territory and sparsely populated.