The Bakil federation is the largest tribal federation in Yemen. Imam Yahya's campaign to subject the country, and more specifically the tribes, to his control, led him to undertake massive campaigns against their influence and power; in fact, his efforts succeeded in permanently eliminating all but two of the ancient confederations (the Hashid is the other one to survive) . The member tribes of the Bakil Confederation are found primarily in the far north of the country; its leaders today are the Alshaif family. The current shiek is Naji Abdulaziz Alshaif