A Covert Conflict
In the chaos of Yemen’s civil war, a new and deeply troubling chapter unfolded as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) secretly employed American mercenaries to carry out targeted assassinations. This covert operation, exposed by a major BBC investigation, shines a light on the murky world of privatized warfare—where money, politics, and violence intersect beyond the reach of international law. The findings raise profound questions about accountability, the privatization of military force, and the true cost of modern proxy wars.
The Origins of a Secret Campaign
The UAE’s clandestine campaign began in 2015, at the height of its involvement in the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Faced with a complex battlefield and political rivals within Yemen, the UAE sought to eliminate opponents not just on the frontlines, but in city streets and political circles. To do this, they turned to the services of Spear Operations Group—a private military company led by Hungarian-Israeli security contractor Abraham Golan.
Golan’s firm assembled a team of former American special forces soldiers, including veterans like Isaac Gilmore and Dale Comstock. Their mission was clear: conduct targeted killings of those seen as threats to the UAE’s interests, regardless of any formal connection to terrorism. This marked a dramatic escalation in the use of mercenaries in the region—one that blurred the lines between military operations and political murder.
The First Assassination Attempt
The mercenaries’ initial operation unfolded in December 2015 in the port city of Aden. Their target was Anssaf Ali Mayo, a local leader of Yemen’s Islah party—a political group opposed to the UAE-backed forces but with no proven links to extremism. The plan was brutal but simple: detonate an explosive device as Mayo’s car passed by, then follow up with gunfire to ensure his death.
The attempt ultimately failed. Mayo survived, but the operation set a chilling precedent. In the following months, a wave of targeted killings swept across southern Yemen, leaving political figures, clerics, and activists dead or in fear for their lives. While the UAE claimed its operations were focused on counterterrorism, evidence suggested that the campaign was far broader and more politically motivated.
A Pattern of Killings
Between 2015 and 2018, the BBC’s investigation revealed, at least 160 individuals were assassinated in Yemen using tactics consistent with those of Spear Operations Group—typically a combination of IED attacks and close-range shootings. Disturbingly, only 23 of these victims had verified links to terrorist organizations. The majority were seen as political opponents to the UAE or its allies within Yemen, including members of Islah, journalists, and outspoken clerics.
These attacks often went unclaimed, cloaked in secrecy and plausible deniability. But eyewitness accounts, forensic evidence, and testimonies from former mercenaries all pointed to a systematic campaign coordinated by foreign operatives on behalf of the UAE. The aim was not merely to defeat the Houthis, but to reshape Yemen’s political landscape by force.
Evolving Tactics and Shifting Roles
As the presence of American mercenaries became more apparent, the UAE adjusted its strategy. Instead of carrying out all the assassinations directly, mercenaries began training Emirati officers, who then passed these skills to local Yemeni forces. This added another layer of distance between the UAE’s leadership and the actual killings, making the campaign even harder to trace.
By 2017, the UAE’s influence had deepened further with the establishment and funding of the Southern Transitional Council (STC)—a powerful paramilitary force in southern Yemen. The STC, with close ties to Abu Dhabi, took an increasingly active role in enforcing the UAE’s political interests and carrying out targeted violence against rivals. The legacy of the mercenary campaign was thus embedded in Yemen’s evolving power structures.
Global Reaction and Denials
The revelation that an American-led private military company had carried out assassinations in Yemen on behalf of a foreign government drew international condemnation. Human rights organizations called for accountability and an end to the use of mercenaries for extrajudicial killings. The UAE, for its part, denied any involvement in targeted assassinations not related to terrorism and insisted it was committed to peace and stability in Yemen.
However, the testimonies of former operatives, leaked documents, and interviews with Yemeni officials told a different story. The operation had all the hallmarks of a state-sponsored campaign to silence dissent and eliminate political opposition—one that left a trail of violence and instability in its wake.
The Larger Implications: Privatizing War
The BBC’s investigation exposes a dangerous new trend in global conflict: the outsourcing of state violence to private actors. As more governments turn to mercenaries and private military contractors to achieve their goals, oversight diminishes and accountability becomes elusive. These operations operate in legal grey zones, often with tacit approval or active support from powerful states.
For Yemen, the consequences have been devastating. The targeted killings have deepened divisions, undermined prospects for peace, and contributed to the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. For the international community, the scandal is a warning: when warfare is privatized and justice is set aside, no one is truly safe from the reach of unaccountable violence.
A Shadow War Unveiled
The hiring of American mercenaries by the UAE to kill in Yemen is a stark reminder of how modern warfare is evolving—and how easily the lines between military necessity and political assassination can be crossed. As the conflict in Yemen drags on, the world must grapple with the ethical, legal, and human costs of a new era in privatized war. The stories uncovered by the BBC are not just about Yemen, or the UAE, or the United States—they are about the future of conflict in a world where power can be bought, and lives can be taken, in the shadows.
About The Author
