the central bank and seized 17 billion Yemeni riyals and 1 million U.S. dollars before taking control of the presidential palace in the city. It was reported the entire city was under their control and they plan to establish an Islamic emirate in the wider Hadramaut region. Mukalla became AQAP's headquarters, and the capital of their Emirate in Yemen after their takeover. In April 2015 Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi was killed in a US drone strike in the city, the SITE Intelligence Group said, citing media reports. On 3 November 2015, Cyclone Chapala struck the city and destroyed the city's waterfront. In 23 of March, a US airstrike hit an AQAP training camp, killing at least 50 people. Some days later, AQAP held a major rally in the city, against the US and their airstrikes. In April 2016, is reported that AQAP bounds at last 1,000 of its fighters inside the Mukalla only, with their taxes profit in the city to be from 2, to higher than 5 million U.S. dollars per day. In the middle of April 2016, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was consolidating its control in Mukalla and took over control of Mukalla's airport from forces affiliated with the pro-Ansar al Sharia Hadhrami Domestic Council, while also evacuating and planting explosives around nearby al Dhaba oil port. AQAP also arrested seven Yemeni fighters from a camp north of Mukalla in Wadi Hadramawt, where the UAE is reportedly training forces for operations against AQAP. AQAP is also redistributing property from northern landowners to local tribal leaders in an effort to shore up support, according to reports. The UAE, a core member of the Saudi-led coalition, recently led an operation to recapture AQAP-held al Hawta in Lahij governorate, amid reports the country is seeking U.S. assistance for an expanded counter-terrorism campaign in Yemen. Recapture from Al Qaeda Mukalla was recaptured from Al Qaeda on 25 of April, 2016 after United Arab Emirates Armed Forces led an assault with the support of Southern Transitional Council forces and expelled them from the city. The UAE has established a primary base of operations against AQAP in the liberated city. The special operations base has enabled the CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to target AQAP's strongest cells in Yemen and allowed for an enhanced UAE-US cooperation against AQAP. On 15 May 2016, a suicide attack was carried out in