Southern Abyan Offensive (2016)

Southern Abyan Offensive (2016) Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) The territory that AQAP seized during the offensive showed in dark grey, surrounded by black lines. Date 2-20 February 2016 (18 days) Location Shuqrah and Ahwar, Abyan Governorate Yemen Result AQAP victory AQAP united its western and eastern parts of its Emirate Belligerents Al-Qaeda Emirate in Yemen AQAP Yemen People's Committees Popular resistance Commanders and leaders Abu Hamza al Zinjibari †[1][2] Tawfiq Belaidi Sheikh Mazen al-Aqrabi † (Popular resistance unit senior commander) Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties and losses Unknown 3 killed, 3 captured[3] 35-37 soldiers captured in the aftermath, 17-20 of them executed[4]

Yemeni Crisis Revolution (2011–12) Sa'dah 1st Sana'a Zinjibar Ta'izz Dammaj Transition and AQAP campaign (2012–13) Dofas Abyan (2012) Sana'a Radda (2013) Sana'a (2013) Houthi rebellion (2014–15) Dammaj Amran 2nd Sanaa Houthi takeover Rescue operations Rada' Ibb Sana'a Police Academy Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Aden Airport Sana'a mosques Ad Dali' Saudi-led intervention Aden 1st Abyan Lahij Najran Shabwah 1st Al Mukalla Ta'izz Ma'rib missile strike Sana'a mosque (2nd) Aden unrest (October 2015 - ) Aden hotel attack 1st Aden Aden Christian attack 2nd Aden 3rd Aden 4th Aden 5th & 6th Aden Zinjibar and Jaar Taiz missile strike Port Midi 2nd Abyan 2nd Al Mukalla 3rd Al Mukalla 4th Al Mukalla Sana'a funeral air raid

The Southern Abyan Offensive reference to the 2016 offensive that AQAP launched in late February, and ends with the victory of AQAP, as Yemeni tribal fighters loyal to president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, driven out of the Abyan Governorate.

The offensive

The AQAP was beginning to take parts of other remaining areas of southern Abyan from the beginning of February, when they entered Ahwar and other towns.^[5] The major offensive began in the dawn of the 20 February, with the AQAP first taking Ahwar, then Shuqrah, in one day fighting, that resulted to the death of 3 Hadi government loyalists. Also in the same day, AQAP attacked the new base of the Hadi government in the port city of Aden, killing one tribal leader and one of his bodyguards. After the tribal fighters abandoned the southern Abyan, and headed for the north, AQAP set up their flags in the government building, establishing a sharia court, and an Emirate, that is led by Tawfiq Belaidi, the brother of Abu Hamza al-Zinjibari, who was killed in a U.S drone strike on 3 February.^[6][7][8]

Strategic importance

Southern Abyan is located in a region with very much strategically importance for AQAP, because of its geographical connection with the coastal city of Al Mukalla, the headquarters of AQAP. Al Mukalla was seized by the AQAP in summer of 2015, the first major victory of AQAP since the beginning of the war.^[9][10][11]

Aftermath

In 8 April 2016, more than 35 Hadi Yemeni government soldiers were captured by AQAP soldiers in Ahwar. 17 or more than 20 of them were executed by firing squad, with the others being wounded but still alive, and with others believed to have escaped and get to safety out of Ahwar. The soldiers were travelling from Aden to Al Mahrah Governorate via Ahwar, and during hair passing in Ahwar they have been ambushed. One day later, in 9 April, AQAP denied that its fighters executed the soldiers, blaming a local armed fighter named Ali Aqeel. "We entered Ahwar around two months ago to chase this corrupt individual and his gang," the statement said.^[12][13]

References

Yemeni Civil War
Part of Aftermath of the 2014–15 Yemeni coup d'état
Past events	Battle of Amran Battle of Sana'a Battle of Radaa 2014–15 Yemeni coup d'état Abduction of Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak Battle of Sanaa Constitutional declaration for the Houthis Agreements Peace and national partnership agreement Agreement January 21, 2015
Battles	Battle of Aden Airport Battle of Aden Battle of Ad Dali' Lahij insurgency Battle of Marib (2015) Battle of Taiz Shabwah campaign Abyan campaign Other 2015 Sana'a mosque bombings Hota Massacre Battle of Al Mukalla (2015) Bombing Marzaq camp Bombing Dahra Battle of Al Mukalla (2016)
Parties and powers	Mansur Hadi Government Military of Yemen South resistance People's Committees in Yemen Southern Movement Yemen's tribes Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance Forces Fourth Military Region Armored brigade 35 111 Infantry Brigade Third Military Region 112 Infantry Brigade Houthis Government Revolutionary Committee Houthis Army Pro-Ali Abdullah Saleh Republican Guard Forces Republican Guard Special Operations Forces Special Security Forces Yemeni Air Force
People	Mansur Hadi Government Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi Khaled Bahah Mahmoud al-Subaihi Thabit Jawas Houthis Government and their allies Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi Abu Ali Al Hakim Mohammed Ali al-Houthi Saleh Al Samad Abdul-Khaliq al-Huthi army Pro-Ali Abdullah Saleh Ali Abdullah Saleh Ahmed Saleh Abdullah Dabaan Abdul-Hafiz al-Saqqaf Abdul Razzaq Almrona Abdullah Khairan Zakaria Yahya al-Shami Hussein Khairan
Places	Sana'a Taiz Governorate Taiz Mocha, Yemen Lahij Governorate Lahij Aden Ad Dali' Governorate
Reactions external	Military 2015 military intervention in Yemen Timeline of Operation Restoring Hope