AQAP fighters waving al Qaeda’s black flag in front of the Yemeni Army’s 19th Infantry Brigade Base, which it captured earlier today. According to a statement released by AQAP, the assault on the military base began at 4:00 a.m. when clashes between AQAP fighters and Yemeni soldiers initially erupted. Moreover, some news organizations claimed that the base was being surrounded by local tribal forces, who appear to be attempting to contain AQAP forces at the base. Yemeni forces, backed by US airpower, which included drone strikes, drove AQAP from overtly controlling much of the two provinces. The US military has attempted to paint a positive picture of the status of Yemen security forces despite their recent losses.