An expert on Yemen affairs, and the director of the Islamic Africa department of Mersad Think Tank, stated, “There are several Salafi movements in Yemen, including Najdi, Ikhwani, and Jihadi Salafists. The Ikhwani Salafi was formed in Yemen during the time of Hassan al-Banna. The Salafi Jihadi in Yemen is in fact the same as “Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,” the center of which is the Shabwa province.”