Abyan campaign

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Abyan campaign
Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)
and the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
Abyan in Yemen.svg
Location of the Abyan Governorate within Yemen
Date26 March – 11 August 2015
(4 months, 2 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Result Coalition victory
Belligerents

Flag of Yemen.svg Supreme Political Council [1]

Flag of Yemen.svg Cabinet of Yemen

Supported by:

ShababFlag.svg AQAP [7]
Commanders and leaders
Abdul Nasser al-Junaidi [8] Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Ali Mohsen Al Ahmar  ShababFlag.svg Abu Hamza al-Zinjibari [7]
ShababFlag.svg Abu al Zinad al Abyani [9]
Units involved

Yemeni Armed Forces Emblem.svg 15th Armored Brigade [7]

Houthis Logo.png Houthi fighters
Yemeni Armed Forces Emblem.svg 111th Infantry Brigade [7] ShababFlag.svg AQAP fighters
Strength
Yemeni Armed Forces Emblem.svg 200 soldiers
Houthis Logo.png 100 Houthi fighters
Yemeni Armed Forces Emblem.svg 600 soldiers
Flag of Yemen.svg 400 popular committee fighters [7]
ShababFlag.svg 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]

The campaign

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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abyan Governorate</span> Governorate of Yemen

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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References

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