Adam Schiff, a top democrat and a member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has claimed that terror group Al Qaeda has had "a resurgence" amid the chaos in Yemen, just as they feared it will.
The Al Qaeda offshoot in the Arabian Peninsula took advantage of the turmoil in Yemen to expand its foothold in southwest Asia.
Michael Leiter, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, weighed in by saying that Yemen was a "safe heaven." While he noted that the administration's strategy was correct, compared to the alternative of a massive American occupation, but admitted that it was not "flawless."
Leiter added that if the U.S. had put more emphasis on dealing with the governance issues in Yemen, Al Qaeda's comeback could have been prevented.
The security officials said that Al Qaeda had freed about 300 inmates from the city's main prison, including Saudi-born Khaled Batrafi, a senior Al Qaeda operative who is believed to be the mastermind behind previous attacks.
About 500 people have been killed as Shia Houthi rebels battle Hadi loyalists, backed by air strikes from Saudi-led coalition, in a bid to take over the entire country.