In the latest issue of its weekly paper al-Naba, IS indirectly admits defeat in its stronghold of Qaifa in Yemen's central Bayda province after days of clashes with Houthi rebels. Blames setback on AQAP and some local tribes, saying they either fled or failed to fight the Houthis

But IS spun the report and infographic as a celebration of the heroism and sacrifice of its militants, and focused on the group's performance during the course of the fighting and the losses it allegedly inflicted on Houthis, rather than on the outcome

On 20 August, Houthi leader Abd-al-Malik al-Houthi announced victory over IS and al-Qaeda militants in Bayda, particularly in the areas of Qaifa and Yakala

Given that Qaifa and its environs were indeed the strongholds of AQAP and IS in Yemen, it remains unclear where the militants of these two rival groups have gone or will settle following the Houthi advance

IS supporters online have accused AQAP militants of fleeing to neighbouring Marib, where AQAP's former leader, Qasim al-Rayami, was killed by the US in late January

Meanwhile, pro-AQAP sources online have fallen quiet on the state of affairs, following a brief stint of reporting on 9 Aug, which supports reports that AQAP militants in Qaifa had withdrawn