Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP; القاعدة في جزيرة العرب) is a militant Islamist organization, primarily active in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It was named for al-Qaeda, and says it is subordinate to that group and its now-deceased leader Osama bin Laden, whose father was born in Yemen.
Like al-Qaeda, it opposes the Al Saud monarchy. AQAP was formed in January 2009 from a merger of al Qaeda’s Yemeni and Saudi branches. The Saudi group had been effectively suppressed by the Saudi government, forcing its members to seek sanctuary in Yemen. It is believed to have several hundred members.
Source: Wikipedia
