When the British engineer Douglas Robert Semple was taken hostage by al-Qaida in Yemen’s eastern province of Hadramawt 18 months ago, the country was inching slowly towards disaster.
A political transition that saw the removal of Yemen’s longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh after Arab spring-style protests was floundering. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was growing in power despite unrelenting American drone strikes, and the central government of president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi was growing weak.
Months later, Islamic State would declare the creation of its self-proclaimed caliphate, placing it in direct competition with al-Qaida.
By the end of the year, the Houthis – Shia rebels from the north who are allied with Iran – launched a surprise military campaign that saw them take control of the capital Sana’a, working in tandem with Saleh, who appeared to be plotting a return to power.
Saudi Arabia, fearful of Tehran’s growing influence in the Middle East, weighed in with air strikes against the Houthis, alongside allies including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt.
The coalition fought back the Houthi assault on Aden, and is now advancing into Taiz, Yemen’s third city, with a view to taking back Sana’a, aided by ground troops from the UAE. At the same time, US drone strikes have continued, killing AQAP’s charismatic leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi in an attack earlier this summer.
This is the melting pot that Semple, 64, found himself in when he was captured in February 2014. Little is known about his capture and ordeal: often in hostage-taking cases, families are persuaded by officials to keep quiet and give diplomacy a chance. But in this case, it appears that it was a military operation, not negotiation, that secured his release.
The UAE said it had succeeded in freeing Semple during a “military intelligence operation”, transporting him to a safe location in Aden before flying him out on Saturday night to Abu Dhabi, where he was met by the British ambassador.
The news of the raid was delivered to David Cameron in a phone call on Saturday night by the UAE’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, “informing him that the Emirati force in Aden was able to reach the location where the British hostage … was being held by the terrorist organisation al-Qaida in Yemen”, according to a statement by the UAE government.
The statement did not identify the exact location where Semple was being held, but acknowledges the presence of Emirati troops in Aden. The UAE said the operation showed its firm commitment to fighting terrorism and the country’s close friendship with the UK.
The government said Semple was able to speak with his family in Britain and will be flown to London after undergoing medical checks.
