The enemies of the Islamic State (IS) have achieved major victories over the Islamist militant group this year in Iraq and Syria, capturing its onetime strongholds in both countries, albeit through ruthless military campaigns that entailed high civilian death tolls and the decimation of ancient cities. In Yemen, however, the situation is different. The local IS branch — IS-Yemen — is displaying stronger capabilities and greater influence through continued exploitation of Yemen’s state collapse, civil war and humanitarian disaster.

As the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeks to assert a more influential hand in southern Yemen, IS-Yemen’s recent violence is increasingly directed against Abu Dhabi. The UAE finances and manages the Security Belt Forces that mainly operate in Aden, Lahjh, Abyan and Yemen’s other southern governorates. They have fought IS-Yemen, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the local Muslim Brotherhood branch, which Abu Dhabi sees as extremist threats.

On Nov. 14, hours after an IS-Yemen suicide bomber killed six, injured dozens and destroyed a Security Belt Forces’ operations room in Aden’s al-Mansoura district, Amaq — IS-Yemen’s propaganda wing — reported that the group took credit for attacking a base of the local "apostate Security Belt." Nine days earlier, IS-Yemen also claimed responsibility for a suicide blast in Aden’s Khormaksar district that also targeted the Security Belt Forces, killing five of their armed personnel. IS-Yemen has also assassinated UAE-backed Yemeni Salafi imams who preached a more moderate form of Islam.

Washington shares Abu Dhabi’s concerns that Yemen is becoming more of a safe haven for radical Sunni militants seeking to target both Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members as well as Western countries and interests across the Arab world. As IS fighters flee Iraq and Syria, there are legitimate anxieties about more foreign fighters joining IS-Yemen’s ranks as the local branch continues to spill blood.