Of all the places where the Islamic State (IS) has declared official affiliates outside of Iraq and Syria in the form of 'wilayas' ('provinces'), Yemen arguably represented one of the most attractive prospects for expansion: a chaotic environment, Sunni-Shi'a sectarian polarisation inflamed by the Houthi expansion from the north of the country that had captured the capital San'a, and the chance to undermine al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Though Yemen was officially declared as an IS province in the first wave of international expansion in November 2014, it was not until some three months later that real evidence of an IS presence on the ground began to emerge, with statements issued in the name of multiple IS Yemeni wilayas. It is clear that IS intended to make its mark through mass-casualty attacks targeting the Houthis, contrasting with AQAP's rejection of this approach on account of Zawahiri's Guidelines.

The intent to inflame sectarian tensions did not mean that IS took no interest in the Saudi-led coalition intervening in Yemen in support of de jure Yemeni president Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi and local forces working under him or cooperating out of expediency against a common enemy (the Houthis). Indeed, a number of IS operations have targeted the coalition. Earlier this month, for example, IS launched a suicide attack targeting the Ras Abbas training camp overseen by the Saudi-led coalition west of Aden, aiming to kill 'apostates' from the 'soldiers of Taghut'. In December 2015, IS claimed the assassination of the governor of Aden in a car bomb attack. In Hadhramaut province, IS fights the Hadi-aligned Yemeni army, primarily claiming to target it with mortar and rocket fire.

While IS has clear military capabilities and may be dispatching personnel from its centre in Iraq and Syria (or from elsewhere) to Yemen- see, for instance, the case of a suicide bomber in the Aden-Abyan province with a kunya suggesting origin from the Netherlands - its administrative capabilities on the ground and real control of territory remain very limited in contrast with AQAP. For instance, some propaganda has advertised IS-affiliated medical centres in Hadhramaut and Aden, but their size, exact location and extent of services are not clear. No hard evidence suggests they serve the local populations. Rather, it is more likely they are simply providing treatment for IS fighters, and with regards to Aden, it is claimed that the IS health centre may be located in al-Buraiqeh district. It is certainly true that IS has been trying to impose its vision of Islamic society in parts of Aden, distributing da'wa literature and publishing a statement in 2015 calling for Shari'a implementation in Aden University. However, all the activities above seem to be the limit of IS administration in Yemen- far less sophisticated than IS governance in Iraq, Syria or Libya.

In addition, IS in Yemen has been rocked in the past few months by internal dissent in the ranks with disapproval of the overall governor of the Yemeni affiliates (the wali of Yemen) appointed by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. These disagreements have been leaked in a series of documents. Though they have been referred to elsewhere, I present all the documents that have come to light in this controversy with full translations. To summarize, the sequence of events, beginning in mid-December 2015, is as follows:

- Letter disavowing work with the wali of Yemen signed by dozens of IS officials and soldiers in various Yemeni provinces, while affirming continued allegiance to Baghdadi.

- Dissenters joined by other officials and soldiers.

- Dissenters rebuked by member of IS' Shura Council, who affirms that they must be loyal to the wali of Yemen, otherwise the conduct amounts to breaking allegiance with IS.

- Dissenters reject rebuke, while affirming they are still loyal to Baghdadi.

- Perceived ringleaders of the conspiracy against IS are formally expelled from the ranks.

- Problems persist, so a new set of expulsions is decreed.

The list of signatories among the dissenters indicate that some high-rank personnel were involved. The initial statement of expulsion, which revealed the existence of an IS bureaucratic department to manage distant international affiliates, identified 7 individuals in particular to be thrown out. The names do not exactly match but this likely reflects kunya variation among individuals. It is also not clear how many in total ended up being expelled by remaining in the ranks of the dissenters or returned to the ranks of IS. The episode is nonetheless important in showing that while IS partly aims to expand by exploiting fractures within other jihadi organizations- and has done so with a degree of success in the North Caucasus and Libya- its affiliates on the whole, being less sophisticated in organization than IS central and not having the same rigid security apparatuses to crack down on dissent, are also vulnerable to internal splits. This observation should help to provide a more nuanced analysis of IS expansion on the international stage.

Below are the documents in full, with translation.

Dissent against the wali [governor] of Yemen

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Praise be to God and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of God and all his family and companions.

As for what follows:

Subject: Statement disavowing the wali of Yemen

Imam Muslim narrated in his authentic collection on the authority of Ubada bin al-Samit- may God be pleased with him: he said: "By God I do not mind if I do not remain in his troop on a black night"- which he said to the amir of the soldiers Mu'awiya bin Abi Sufyan, may God be pleased with them both.

And in the supplement to the two authentic collections it is narrated that Ubada bin al-Samit condemned him and said: "I will not dwell with you in a land in which you have authority over me." Then he went to Medina, so the Caliph of the Muslims Omar- may God be pleased with him- said to him: "What brought you here, Abu al-Waleed?" So he narrated to him what had happened between him and Mu'awiya, so he said to him: "God will not open a land in which you and the likes of you are not present, so depart: Mu'awiya has no authority."

And in the Sunan of Ibn Maja:

So Mu'awiya said to him: "Oh Abu al-Waleed, I do not see the riba in this, except what was from delay." So Ubada said to him: "I will narrate to you on the authority of the Messenger of God (SAWS), and you will tell me your opinion. If God brings me back safely, I will never dwell with you in a land in which you have authority. So when he returned and stayed in Medina, Omar bin al-Khattab said to him: "What brought you here, oh Abu al-Waleed?" So he told him the story, and what he said about dwelling with him. So he said: "Return, oh Abu al-Waleed, to your land. For God has made ugly a land in which you and the likes of you are not present." And he wrote to Mu'awiya: "You have no authority over him, and make the people follow what he has said. For he is right."

Pointing to the above matter, we the soldiers of the Islamic State in Yemen signing this statement inform you that we are on the pledge of allegiance to the Caliph of the Muslims Ibrahim bin Awwad al-Husseini al-Qurashi, and we renew the pledge of allegiance to him, for we say: "We pledge allegiance to the amir al-mu'mineen and Caliph of the Muslims Sheikh Ibrahim bin Awwad al-Qurashi on hearing and obeying, in adversity and ease, in pleasure and displeasure even if someone is favoured over us, and that we should not dispute the order of his people of authority unless we see clear disbelief in our eyes in him as proof from God; and we pledge allegiance, that we should speak the word of Truth- not fearing in God the blame of the blamer- and counsel for every Muslim. And God is witness over what we say."

So in view of what is happening now in Yemen from Shari'i infringements and violations from the wali of Yemen and his retinue, and after we exerted our efforts in advice, condemnation and informing the Diwan al-Khalifa as to what has happened among us in Yemen, it is indeed the case until now that these Shari'i violations continue to endure and increase, and they have indeed abandoned working on the Prophetic Methodology in many issues and resolution of cases. The most recent manifestations of what has happened are as follows:

1. Expelling some of the soldiers of the Dawla after they referred a judicial case against the military official on the grounds that there was no need for them now despite the fact it was known that among them are wanted individuals on security grounds with the enemy.

2. What happened in the incident of Sarr wa Shabam in Wilayat Hadhramout regarding the killing of soldiers of the Islamic State for the lack of provision of the most basic means and foundational components for the battle, including the following:

- Lack of a withdrawal plan from battle.

- Lack of a support squadron for the fighters.

- Lack of supporters and guides knowing the area.

- Lack of the medical division and the necessary provisions for that.

- Changing the battle plan hours before it took place from assaulting a barracks to assaulting two barracks.

- The military official prevented some of the soldiers from taking the necessary arms for battle.

- And much else besides these things.

This led to much loss of the brothers from the path and the killing of around half of the soldiers participating in the battle, and the corpses of the martyrs were not removed for two days until the Muslim masses buried them, and despite all this no official measures were taken to hold to account the military official.

3. The wali of the Sahel (Abu Muhammad al-Najdi) rejected referral for judgement to the Shari'i court in the case of the 'al-Tawasal' clan that had also been demanded by the relatives of those killed for the proving of the apostasy of their sons. It should be known that the wali was informed of the wali of the Sahel's rejection for referral and he did not do anything on consequence of that. Indeed the Shari'i officials tried to contact the wali more than once in that regard but he did not respond to them.

And other violations besides these like:

- Wrongdoing towards the oppressed.

- Expelling the muhajireen.

- Dismissing the majority of the ansar who accommodated and supported the Dawla, which has made the Dawla lose most of the land that accommodated them.

This has made us adopt a stance we profess to God- Almighty and Exalted is He:

And it is this: disavowing work with the wali of Yemen and his retinue, saying what Ubadah-may God be pleased with him- said: "By God I do not mind if I do not remain among his soldiers on a black night."

And Sheikh Adnani has said: "The Islamic State procedes on a clear path and white procedure- a path outlined by the leaders of the Dawla by their corpses and skulls...such that the manhaj has become the valve of guarantee, so whoever should try to assume the leadership without it, would be rejected by the soldiers of the Dawla, and they would abandon him and replace him, whoever he might be"- from the speech: 'Say to those who have disbelieved: you will be overcome.'

Signatories:

1. Sheikh Abu Hajer al-Adeni: member of the Shari'i committee.

2. Sheikh Abu Ali al-Shayba: among the first who accommodated the Dawla and continues to do so.

3. Sheikh Abu al-Shayma' al-Muhajir: member of the Shari'i committee.

4. Sadiq: public security official for the Yemeni wilayas.

5. Abu Talha al-Yami: among the founders of the Dawla.

6. Sheikh Abu Abd al-Rahman Nasir al-Qa'ashi.

7. Dr. Rawaha al-Muhajir.

8. Sheikh Adnan al-Adeni: member of the al-Mazalim committee.

9. Abu Amro al-Adeni: previous amir of the Faruq battalion and one of the senior members of Wilayat Aden-Abyan.

10. Sheikh Mansar al-Adeni: Da'wa official for Wilayat Aden-Abyan.

11. Abu Asem al-Bayka: commander and military cadre.

12. Sheikh Abu Muslim al-Mansur: member of the Shari'i committee and undertaking judgment previously.

13. Abu Omar al-Adeni: general reception official (joining).

14. Sheikh Suhaib al-Awlaqi: previously a member of the Da'wa committee.

. Soldiers of the Dawla in Wilayat Shabwa:

15. Islam al-Awlaqi: soldier.

16. Abu Yunis al-Awlaqi: soldier.

17. Abu Uday al-Awlaqi: soldier.

18. Abu al-Bara' al-Abdali al-Awlaqi: soldier.

19. Abu Khalid al-Awlaqi: soldier.

20. Ayad al-Radumi: soldier.

21. Abu Himam al-Radumi: soldier.

22. Abu al-Layth al-Qumaishi: soldier.

. Soldiers of the Dawla in al-Rayda:

23. Abu Khattab al-Shururi: soldier.

24. Abu Turab al-Shururi: soldier.

25. Asem al-Shururi: soldier.

26. Julaybib al-Shururi: soldier.

27. Abu Jandal al-Shururi: soldier.

28. Salma al-Shururi: soldier.

. Soldiers of the Dawla in Wilayat Aden-Abyan:

29. Abu al-Fida' al-Adeni: soldier.

30. Abu Radwan al-Hashemi al-Adeni: soldier.

31. Abu Muslim al-Adeni: soldier.

32. Abu al-Bara' al-Adeni: soldier.

33. Ibrahim al-Adeni: soldier.

34. Abu Bakr al-Adeni: soldier.

35. Abu Ammar al-Adeni: soldier.

36. Radwan al-Adeni: soldier.

37. Muwahhid al-Adeni: soldier.

38. Sami al-Adeni: soldier.

39. Abu Hurayra al-Adeni: soldier.

40. Owais al-Adeni: soldier.

41. Khilad al-Adeni: soldier.

42. Adham al-Adeni: soldier.

. Soldiers of the Dawla in Wilayat Ma'arib.

43. Abu Hamza al-Ma'aribi: soldier.

44. Abu Naji al-Ma'aribi: soldier.

45. Abu Mus'ab al-Ma'aribi: soldier.

46. Abu Ammar al-Ma'aribi: soldier.

47. Abu Bakr al-Ma'aribi: soldier.

48. Abu Hassa al-Ma'aribi: soldier.

49. Abu Muadh al-Ma'aribi: soldier.

50. Abu Saleh al-Ma'aribi: soldier.

51. Abu al-Hassan al-Ma'aribi: soldier.

52. Abu Hassan al-Mash'ali: soldier.

53. Abu Muhammad al-Mash'ali: soldier.

. Muhajireen soldiers of the Dawla:

54. Abu Abdullah al-Hadidi: previously military official for Green District Wilaya.

55. Qais al-Rada'i: soldier.

56. Abdullah al-San'a'i: soldier.

57. Meqdad al-San'a'i: soldier.

58. Abu al-Bara' al-Ibi: soldier.

59. Abu Thabit al-Somali: soldier.

60. Abu Ali al-San'a'i: soldier.

61. Nibras al-San'a'i: soldier.

62. Abu al-Layth al-San'a'i: soldier.

63. Aqil al-Hamdani: soldier.

64. Abu al-Bara' al-Dala'i: soldier.

65. Abu Azzam al-Somali: trainer of the camps.

66. Abu al-Waleed al-Somali: soldier.

Soldiers of the Dawla in Wilayat Hadhramaut:

67. Hazem al-Hadhroumi: member of the Security Committee.

68. Waheed al-Hadhroumi: soldier.

69. Shabrawi al-Hadhroumi: soldier.

70. Abu Muhammad al-Hadhroumi: soldier.

* This statement was edited and published on the evening of Tuesday, 4 Rabi' al-Awal 1437 AH [c. 15 December 2015].

Note: we disavow to God any publishing of this statement outside the soldiers of the Islamic State.

And the last of our call is that praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds.

Additional dissent against the wali of Yemen

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds and prayers and peace be upon the most noble of the Prophets and those sent as well as his family, companions, and whoso has followed him until the Day of Judgment. As for what follows:

Disavowal letter

To whom it may concern: As-salam alaykum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuhu

We have reviewed the statement of our brothers- soldiers of the Islamic State- disavowing work with the wali of Yemen and we have seen that the reasons mentioned in the statement are true and are an extension of the Shari'i violations that the wali of Yemen and his revenue have persisted in.

Thus we inform you that we the signatories to this letter have disavowed working with the wali and do not mind if we do not remain in his soldiery on a black night even as we embrace allegiance to the Caliph Ibrahim bin Awwad al-Husseini.

Signatories:

1. Sheikh Salman al-Lahaji: member of the Da'wa Committee.

2. Rawahat al-Adeni: member of the security committee.

3. Abu Hafs al-Somali: member of the Security Committee.

Soldiers of the Islamic State in Wilayat Shabwa:

4. Zakariya al-Shabwani: security official in Wilayat Shabwa.

5. Abu Bakr al-Ma'sasi al-Awlaqi: soldier.

6. Abu Ahmad al-Habbani: soldier.

Soldiers of the Islamic State in Wilayat Aden-Abyan

7. Abu Othman al-Adeni: soldier.

8. Khabib al-Abyani: soldier.

9. Qutaiba al-Adeni: soldier.

10. Osama al-Radfani: soldier.

11. Islam al-Abyani: soldier.

12. Battar al-Adeni: soldier.

13. Abu al-Harith al-Adeni: soldier.

14. Al-Qandahari: soldier.

15. Muhammad Ba'azab: soldier.

16. Abu Muhammad al-Marqashi: soldier.

17. Abu Sa'id al-Marqashi: soldier.

18. Abu Osama al-Naqib: soldier.

19. Abu al-Zubayr al-Zinjibari: soldier.

20. Abu al-Layla al-Rahawi: soldier.

21. Abu al-Qa'qa' al-Rahawi: soldier.

22. Abu Muslim al-Rahawi: soldier.

23. Abu al-Athir al-Adeni: soldier.

24. Mus'ab al-Hasawi: soldier.

25. Khalid Abdarat al-Nabi: soldier.

26. Abu Muslim al-Abadi: soldier.

27. Obeida al-Adeni: soldier.

Soldiers of the Islamic State in Wilayat Hadhramout

28. Asyad al-Hadhrami: soldier.

29. Abu Jaber al-Hadhrami: soldier.

30. Abu Abdullah al-Say'uni: soldier.

31. Abu al-Abbas al-Hadhrami: soldier.

Edited and published on Thursday, 6 Rabi' al-Awal 1437 AH [c. 17 December 2015]

We ask God to grant us success for obedience to Him, and may God's peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad.

Response of Abu Obayda Abd al-Hakim

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the Imam of the Mujahideen, our Prophet Muhammad, and all his family and companions. As for what follows:

Your message dated 4 Rabi' al-Awal 1437 AH reached us, and in it your statement in which you justified your submission to disavow the appointed amir whom the Amir al-Mu'mineen- may God protect him- appointed over Yemen. So we say and in God is success:

What you have submitted against him is rejected, period. And you must hear and obey the one who has been tested by your emirate and by whose emirate upon you you have been tested, even if he is in error. For indeed disavowal of the jama'at is one of the ways of leaving obedience to the Imam, wronging him and rejecting the pledge of allegiance to the Caliph of the Muslims, even if you claim otherwise. Indeed the walis are workers of the Caliph, who must be listened to and obeyed so long as they do not command rebellion, and a hand is not removed from them from obedience so long as clear disbelief from them is not seen.

Ibn Abbas- may God be pleased with him- narrated on the authority of the Messenger of God (SAWS): that he said: "Whoever hates something from his amir, let him be patient upon it. For indeed there is not anyone from the people who has gone out an inch from authority and has died upon it, unless he has died in a state of Jahiliya on death."

The Sheikh of Islam Ibn Taymiyya (may God have mercy on him) said in the fatwas: "Patience on the coercion of the Imams is one of the principles of the Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'at."

And we will not be content by God's permission with complaint being a doorway for splitting the ranks and rebelling against the walis whom the Amir al-Mu'mineen- may God protect him- has appointed to oversee his subjects in order to establish his law and preserve his respect for the religion. Imam Tahawi (may God have mercy on him) said: "And we do not consider coming out against our Imams and walis as our affairs even if they have committed wrong, and we do not call out against them, and we do not withdraw a hand from obedience, and we consider obeying them to be an obligation from obedience to God- Almighty and Exalted is He- so long as they do not order rebellion. And we wish for proper condition and pardon upon them."

Thus we oblige all who have abandoned the jama'at of the Muslims to return to the jama'at and keep to the pledge of allegiance, for indeed those who have refused and retained the pledge of allegiance, we have listened to their complaints and examined their grievances. For indeed the rights are not restored by rebellion against God and are not derived from wrongdoing against the walis, or broadcasting that on the people as you have done. For this is what the seeker of Truth, knowing the law of God, must not do. The Almighty has said: "And when there comes to them a matter of security or fear, they disseminate. But if they had referred it to the Messenger and those with authority over the matter among them, then those who could infer correctly from it would have known about it. And if not for God's grace and mercy upon you, you would have followed Satan, except for a few" [Qur'an 4:83].

And we warn you against splitting the ranks and following arbitrary whim and adorning Satan, for indeed it is haliqa [sowing corruption etc.], and we oblige you with what you have obliged yourselves from hearing and obeying, in pleasure and displeasure, in adversity and ease, even if someone is favoured over you. Whoever of you refuses, we will disavow what he has done and we will expel him from the soldiery of the Islamic State and announce that. "And whoever wages jihad, he wages jihad it for himself. Indeed God is exempt from the needs of the worlds" [Qur'an 29:6].

Abu Obayda Abd al-Hakim

Member of the Islamic State's Shura Council

8 Rabi' al-Awal 1437 AH [c. 19 December 2015]

General clarification by the dissenters

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise be to God and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of God and all his family and companions. As for what follows:

We- the soldiers of the Islamic Caliphate who signed the disavowal statement- remain on our pledge of allegiance to its amir, the Amir al-Mu'mineen Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. We have not gone outside of it, we have not violated our pledge of allegiance to the Caliph, and indeed may our necks be struck more easily than violating and going back on it [the pledge of allegiance].

Indeed our disavowal of the wali of Yemen is on account of his persistence in Shari'i violations even as our brothers remain under the shade of the Caliphate. And we will not allow any injustice of aggression to reach them.

As for those who understood besides that on account of their malicious intention and corruption of their manhaj, as was publicised in social media, we say: "Indeed what we profess to God is that you are a group in error and misleading, having deviated from the the firm manhaj.

. Edited and published on 9 Rabi' al-Awal 1437 AH [c. 20 December 2015]

Our last call is that praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds.

Response by dissenters to Abu Obayda Abd al-Hakim

Response to the message of Abu Obayda Abd al-Hakim

Positions:

1. As for your words: "Disavowing the jama'at..." we have not disavowed the jama'at but rather a bad amir by Shari'i lines of evidence and we comply with the jama'at as we have made clear.

2. As for the Caliph's appointment of the wali, it is one order only from the orders that come from the Caliph. So do you consider insubordination to the Caliph in one order to be coming out against him with the existence of justified lines of evidence for that?

3. As for your words: "He is to be listened to and obeyed in non-rebellion..." we profess to God- Almighty and Exalted is He- that obedience to the Caliph in entering under the authority of the wali of Yemen is an order for rebellion as we have made that clear.

4. As for the hadith of Ibn Abbas, it applies to the greatest Imam- that is, the Caliph- not walis and amirs of the soldiers.

5. As for the words of Ibn Taymiyya: "Patience on the coercion of the Imams..." this concerns the coercive ruling in one sense of the word only: by no means does it apply in origin to the description of a Caliphate (on the Prophetic Methodology).

6. As for your words: "We will not be content by God's permission with complaint being a doorway to splitting the ranks..."- but we have never mentioned personal injustices and by God they have imprisoned us, harmed us and wounded us, but we have endured over all that and we have not mentioned it to you.

But we have condemned open Shari'i violations with insistence on them, and we have disavowed because of the deviation from the Prophetic Methodology, and we have made that clear.

7. As for your words: "Thus we oblige all who have disavowed the the jama'at of the Muslims to return to the jama'at and pledge allegiance..." We say: we have not disavowed the jama'at of the Muslims as we have made clear, as for your order to pledge allegiance, we remind you that we have pledged allegiance to the Caliph on the Prophetic Methodology.

8. As for your words: "But if they have refused and retained the pledge of allegiance, we have listened to their complaints and looked into their grievances." So the rebellion of the oppressed one is an obstacle to hearing his complaints and being impartial to him??!!

9. As for your words: "Broadcasting that to the people as you have done." We did not publish it except among the soldiers of the Dawla and we did not broadcast it to the people.

10. As for your warning with regards to "splitting the ranks": the one who has deviated from the Prophetic Methodology and insisted on the Shari'i violations is the one who has split the ranks and tarnished the image of the Islamic Caliphate, even if he is designated in its name or is reckoned upon it.

11. As for your words: "And the one among you who has refused, we will disavow what he has done." Acceptance of deeds among God is not premised on acceptance of one He has created.

12. As for your words: "We will expel him from the soldiery of the Dawla and announce that." So if we believe in the soundness of what we have brought against him, but also its obligation upon us, we will not be cowed by a threat and we will not be terrified by a threatening gesture. And the matter is solely resting on Shari'i lines of evidence and proofs.

. Finally: is this response of yours on the "Prophetic Methodology"??!!

Conclusion

And you know perfectly well- by God- that we did not resolve to disavow except after we wrote our complaints to you and our grievances were raised to you- as groups and individuals- since 6 months ago. And we write to you even as our messages reached you and we did not find anything from you- not even one response, nay, not even a word.

And before the disavowal, we gave the wali and amirs sincere advice privately and publicly, and we condemned. And we had no other means left to affirm the Prophetic Methodology but to say:

"By God we do not mind if we do not remain in his army on a black night."

And we implore pardon from you as you are the people of authority as per the tone of the letter, and we affirm to you that if you knew our situation in Yemen, you would not have responded thus and we make you bear witness that we profess to God- Almighty and Exaltes is He- on the Caliphate of Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Husseii al-Qurashi, and we remain on allegiance to him as the creed of God, even if you expel us."

And our last call is that praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds.

Edited and published on Monday 10 Rabi' al-Awal 1437 AH [c. 21 December 2015]

Written by the signatories to the disavowal statements.

Statement from the Islamic State's Administration of the Distant Wilayas

Islamic State

Administration of the Distant Wilayas

No. 194

Date: 15 Rabi' al-Awal 1437 AH [c. 26 December 2015]

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds and prayers and peace be upon the Imam of the mujahideen our Prophet Muhammad, and on all his family and companions. As for what follows:

The Messenger of God (SAWS) said: "Whoever obeys me has obeyed God, and whoever disobeys me has disobeyed God, and whoever obeys the amir has obeyed me, and whoever disobeys the amir has disobeyed me. Indeed the Imam is a shield behind whom one fights and in whom one seeks protection. If he orders for fear of God and is just, there is a great reward for him in that. If he does otherwise, then it will be a burden upon him" (narrated by al-Bukhari).

After the registering of unwarranted stances by some who split ranks in disobedience in Yemen, the lack of their retreating from their position that violates the law, their striving to broadcast the fitna among the soldiers of the Islamic State, pretending to remain on their allegiance despite their perpetration of what invalidates this pledge of allegiance and its obligations, it has been decided to expel those whose names are mentioned below from the soldiery of the Islamic State in Yemen.

The expelled persons have no right after this decision to speak in the name of the Islamic State, and may not attribute their judgments, words and deeds to it. Also they are obliged to return to the Bayt Mal al-Muslimeen [finance treasury] what they have from arms, apparatuses, wealth and the like that were pledged to them and over which they were entrusted. The ones who refrain from doing so will be dealt with as the one actively revolting against the Imam and the one usurping the wealth of the Muslims whom we will not hesitate to hold to account according to the law, wherever he is, by God Almighty's permission.

The individuals expelled from the soldiery of the Islamic State in Yemen:

1. Sadiq al-Shabwani.

2. Abu Hajer al-Adeni.

3. Abu Shayma' al-Muhajir.

4. Adnan al-Adeni.

5. Suhaib al-Awlaqi.

6. Abu Khaybar al-Somali.

7. Abu Salim al-Yami.

And for the one who wants to return and repent, we say to him: indeed its door is open and will not be closed by God's permission, and whoever sees injustice in this decision, he has the right to refer his grievance to the one who represents the Diwan al-Qada [judiciary department] in his region to examine his situation if God Almighty wills.

Islamic State

Administration of the Distant Wilayas.

Further Statement from the Islamic State's Administration of the Distant Wilayas

Islamic State

Administration of the Distant Wilayas

No. 199

Date: 22 Rabi' al-Akhir 1437 AH [c. 2 February 2016]

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds and prayers and peace be upon the Imam of the Mujahideen, our Prophet Muhammad, and all his family and companions. As for what follows:

The Messenger of God (SAWS) said: "Whoever hates something from his amir, let him endure, for indeed he who has gone an inch out from authority dies in a state of Jahiliya on death" (narrated by Bukhari).

After the proceedings that were undertaken with regards to ringleaders who split ranks in disobedience in Yemen, with their expulsion from the soldiery of the Islamic State, and after giving sufficient opportunity to those from the followers who had been deceived by the likes of them, some of them insisted on what annuls one's pledge of allegiance to the Imam (may God protect him) while claiming in front of the people that they are still soldiers of the Islamic State, speaking in its name and attributing their deeds to it. It has therefore been decided to expel all of those who have remained in the circles of fitna and split the ranks, from those among the soldiery of the Islamic State in Yemen who still insist on their disobedience.

The disobedient ones who are expelled have no right after this decision to attribute their judgments, words and deeds to the Islamic State. Also they are obliged to return to the Bayt Mal al-Muslimeen what is in their hands from weapons, apparatuses, wealth and the like that was pledged to them and over which they were entrusted. Those who refuse to do so among them will be dealt with as the one actively revolting against the Imam and the one usurping the wealth of the Muslims, and it is for the amir entrusted over the wilayas of Yemen to publicise their names, make them known to the people and warn of them. And whoever sees injustice in this decision, he may refer his grievance to the one who represents the Diwan al-Qada in his area, that he may look at his case, if God Almighty wills.