Abyan campaign | ||||||||
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Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) and the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen | ||||||||
Location of the Abyan Governorate within Yemen | ||||||||
| ||||||||
Belligerents | ||||||||
Supported by: | AQAP [7] | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
Abdul Nasser al-Junaidi [8] | Ali Mohsen Al Ahmar † | Abu Hamza al-Zinjibari [7] Abu al Zinad al Abyani [9] | ||||||
Units involved | ||||||||
15th Armored Brigade [7] Houthi fighters | 111th Infantry Brigade [7] | AQAP fighters | ||||||
Strength | ||||||||
200 soldiers 100 Houthi fighters | 600 soldiers 400 popular committee fighters [7] | 600 fighters [7] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | ||||||||
49 killed [7] [10] | 31 killed [7] [11] | unknown |
The Abyan campaign was a 2015 campaign for control of the Abyan Governorate of Yemen, between the Houthis and Yemen Army units loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh on one side, and militiamen and Yemen Army units loyal to Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi on the other side, supported by jihadists of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. [7] The pro-Hadi forces recaptured the Abyan Governorate on 11 August 2015, [12] after launching an offensive on pro-Houthi forces in early August. [13]
On 26 March 2015, the 15th Armored Brigade, based in Lawdar, announced their support for the Houthis. In turn, the 111th Infantry Brigade, based in the Ahwar District, joined forces with pro-Hadi troops five days later. In addition, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) pledged to fight alongside pro-Hadi forces against the Houthis but clarified they were not loyal to Hadi. [7]
On 27 March, Houthi and allied army forces seized the city of Shuqrah on the Arabian Sea. The takeover gave them control of all land entries to Aden and completed their encirclement of the city where a battle was underway. [14] However, warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition began to bedevil the Houthis as they moved their heavy armour and vehicles toward Aden, with airstrikes halting a convoy from Shuqrah early on 28 March. [15]
On 29 March, pro-Houthi troops captured Zinjibar, the provincial capital and a center for pro-Hadi forces in the governorate. 20 people were killed during the takeover. [16] Heavy clashes took place between tribal fighters and Houthi-allied soldiers occupying a military camp and adjacent football field in the city, which was bombed twice by the Coalition. [17]
On 3 April, Houthi forces entered the districts of Jaar, Lawdar and Shuqrah. Pro-Hadi military sources claimed that the 111th Infantry Brigade had cut off supplies to the Houthis and their allies on 7 April, but a source in the pro-Houthi 15th Armored Brigade said they had supplies still coming from the Al Bayda Governorate to the north. [7] Sustained fighting took place during the day in Lawdar, [18] while pro-Hadi forces reportedly besieged the base of the pro-Houthi army brigade. [19]
On 25 April, at least 29 pro-Houthi fighters were killed in attacks throughout the province, according to an official. [10]
On 8 August, Pro-Hadi forces launched an offensive to retake the city of Zinjibar from Houthi militias after the pro-government forces retook Jaʿār and Lawdar. [20]
On 10 August, Pro-Hadi forces had retaken the provincial capital Zinjibar after just two days of fighting Houthi militias in the city, they will continue the offensive to retake the city of Shuqrah. [21] On 11 August, Pro-Hadi forces had recaptured the entire Abyan Governorate. [12]
Abyan is a governorate of Yemen. The Abyan region was historically part of the Fadhli Sultanate. It was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army militant group. Its capital is the city of Zinjibar. This governorate is noted for its agriculture, in particular the cultivation of date palms and animal husbandry.
Zinjibar is a port and coastal town in south-central Yemen, the capital of Zinjibar District and the Abyan Governorate. It is located next to the Wadi Bana in the Abyan Delta. From 1962 to 1967, it was the administrative capital of the Fadhli Sultanate, although the royal residence remained at the former capital of Shuqrah. At the time of the 2004 census, Zinjibar's population numbered 19,879 inhabitants. The town supports a small seaside resort and fishing industry. Cotton grown in the area is brokered in the market.
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The Battle of Zinjibar was a battle between forces loyal to Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh and Islamist militant forces, possibly including elements of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), for control of the town of Zinjibar and its surroundings as part of the wider insurgency in the self-declared Al-Qaeda Emirate in Yemen. Many of the Islamist forces operating in Abyan province refer to themselves as Ansar al-Sharia.
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The Marib campaign, also called Marib offensive, is an ongoing military campaign in the Yemeni civil war for the control of the Marib Governorate of Yemen. Fighting between the Houthi forces and factions of the Yemeni Army loyal to Supreme Political Council on one side, and Yemeni Army units loyal to president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and militiamen on the other side, has taken place since early 2015. Marib is rich in oil and gas resources and is a key strategic governorate because it connects the Houthi-controlled Sanaa and Alimi-controlled Hadhramaut governorates.
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The Southern Yemen clashes were a series of clashes in the city of Aden between the pro-Hadi government troops backed by Saudi Arabia and Southern Transitional Council forces backed by the United Arab Emirates. The Southern Transitional Council took control of Aden and Zinjibar.
The Battle of Marib is an ongoing battle that began in February 2021 following the advance of the Houthis towards the city of Marib, the capital of Marib Governorate in Yemen controlled by the Cabinet of Yemen.
In August 2022, forces of Yemen's Emirati-backed separatist Southern Movement, mainly represented by the Southern Transitional Council, launched an offensive in the Abyan and Shabwah provinces. Initially, the Southern forces mostly fought against Saudi-backed government forces, most of which belonged to the armed wing of the Islah party. Since early September 2022, however, the Southern Movement's offensive has become more focused on battling local al-Qaeda strongholds.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Wikipedia articles available about the Yemeni crisis, revolution, and Yemeni civil war (2014–present).