Mahdi Maqula
Mahdi Maqula | |
|---|---|
| Native name | مهدي مقولة |
| Born | Beit al-Ahmar, Sanhan and Bani Bahlul district, Sanaa Governorate |
| Allegiance | Yemen (1990s–2014) Houthi-controlled Yemen (2014–2017) |
| Branch | Yemeni Land Forces |
| Service years | 1990s–2017 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | 31st Armoured Brigade |
| Commands | Southern Military Region (1999–2012) |
| Conflicts | |
Mahdi Maqula is a former Yemeni military officer. A close ally of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, he held the position of Southern Military Region commander of the Yemeni Armed Forces from 1999 until 2012, during which he was accused of corruption. During the Yemeni revolution, Maqula was one the highest-ranking military officers who retained their support for Saleh. At the same time, his Southern Military Region was involved in the conflict to evict Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), from territory they had captured quickly in the south, the most notable engagement being the Battle of Zinjibar, which his own 31st Armoured Brigade participated in. Maqula received criticism for his handling of the conflict, and was eventually removed as southern commander in March 2012 by Saleh's replacement, President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.