HADRAMAUT, Yemen: Throughout Hadramaut in Yemen, the mere mention of Abu Ali Al-Hadrami conjures images of secrecy and fear.
Some dubbed him “Hadramaut’s Qassem Soleimani,” though he preferred the alias Abu Mohammed. His true identity — Saleh bin Al-Sheikh Abu Bakr — remained hidden until roughly a year ago, a testament to a man who deliberately operated from the shadows.
Abu Ali Al-Hadrami emerged on Hadramaut’s landscape without warning, carrying no visible credentials or traceable past, cloaked in an impenetrable aura of mystery. His exit proved equally abrupt: he boarded an Emirati plane at Mukalla’s Al-Rayyan Airport without saying goodbye to anyone.
Once, he described himself — according to multiple witnesses — as “a world-class intelligence operative.” This self-characterization matched the impression he cultivated among those in his orbit.
Al-Hadrami practiced extreme operational security in every aspect. He avoided conventional phones and refused proximity to anyone during communications. When using Emirati communication lines, he insisted on complete privacy.
