On 6 October 2015 , ISIL militants conducted a series of suicide bombings in Aden that killed 15 soldiers affiliated with the Hadi government and the Saudi-led coalition . The attacks were directed against the al-Qasr hotel , which had been a headquarters for pro-Hadi officials , and also military facilities . The group carried out further attacks against pro-Hadi forces , including the December 2015 assassination of Aden 's governor . The group experienced a major split in the same month , when dozens of its members , including military and religious leaders , publicly rejected ISIL 's leader in Yemen for perceived violations of Sharia . ISIL 's central command condemned the dissenters , accusing them of violating their pledge to al-Baghdadi . A member of AQAP claimed in early 2016 that about 30 members of ISIL in Yemen had recently defected to his organisation , unhappy with the group 's tactics and targeting of mosques and Muslim civilians . On 15 May 2016 , ISIL militants claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed 25 police recruits in the city of Mukalla in southern Yemen . AQAP was forced out of the city in April by the Saudi-led coalition
assassination of Aden 's governor
2015 Aden car bombing
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Yemen Province