Southern Abyan Offensive (2016)

Southern Abyan Offensive (2016)
Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2014–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)
Units involved
unknown	unknown
Strength
unknown	unknown
Casualties and losses
unknown	3 killed 38-40 captured[3] 17-20 executed[4]

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Yemeni crisis

Revolution (2011–12)
Saada Sana'a Taiz Dammaj Ansar al-Shariah campaign (2011–14) Zinjibar Dofas Abyan 2012 Sana'a Radda Nov 2013 Sanaa Dec 2013 Sana'a Rescue operations Houthi rebellion (2014) 2nd Dammaj Amran

Civil war (2014–present)

2nd Battle of Sana'a Rada'a [ar] Houthi takeover 1st Shabwah Saudi-led intervention Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict Taiz Marib governorate Marib city Dhale Aden airport 2015 2018 2019 Abyan 2015 campaign 2016 southern offensive Lahij 2015 Shabwah 2015 Mukalla Zinjibar and Jaar Nihm Port Midi Hadramaut Al Masini Battle of Mukalla June 2016 Mukalla 2017 Battle of Sana'a Al Hudaydah Al Hudaydah city Masini Takeover of Socotra Victory from God Jabara Al-Jawf offensive Al Bayda offensive 2022 Southern Yemen Operation Prosperity Guardian Bombings and terrorist attacks in Yemen Radda Ibb Jan 2015 Sana'a Mar 2015 Sana'a Sep 2015 Sana'a Oct 2015 Aden Dec 2015 Aden 4 Mar 2016 Aden 25 Mar 2016 Aden May 2016 Mukalla May 2016 Aden Aug 2016 Aden Dec 2016 Aden Mar 2022 Aden Mar 2024 al-Bayda Houthi missile and drone attacks in Yemen 2015 Marib 2015 Taiz 2016 al-Anad 2019 al-Anad Aug 2019 Aden Jan 2020 Marib Aug 2020 Marib Dec 2020 Aden airport US–Saudi arms deal Peace process

Saudi-led intervention (2015–present)
Saudi Arabian airstrikes on Yemen Mokha Sana'a Hajjah Dahyan Dhamar Saada Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia 2018 Riyadh Abha Airport Abqaiq–Khurais 2020 Riyadh Houthi attacks on the United Arab Emirates 2022 Abu Dhabi U.S. raids on al-Qaeda Yakla Hathla

Red Sea crisis (2023–present)
Timeline
Attacks Attacks on the MV Maersk Hangzhou 2023 attack on the Chem Pluto Marlin Luanda missile strike Sinking of the MV Rubymar Attacks on the MV Tutor 2024 Tel Aviv drone attack 2024 Israeli strikes on Yemen Military operations Operation Prosperity Guardian Operation Aspides Operation Poseidon Archer Diplomacy United Nations Security Council Resolution 2722 Effects Environmental impact

Humanitarian crisis
Blockade Disease outbreaks Cholera COVID-19 Famine Locust infestation Refugees on Jeju Island War crimes and human rights violations

The Southern Abyan Offensive refers to a 2016 offensive that AQAP launched in late February, which ended with a victory for AQAP as Yemeni tribal fighters loyal to president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi were driven out of the Abyan Governorate.

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. During the fight for Awhar, 3 AQAP fighters were killed by Southern Movement fighters in a fight in a checkpoint.^[5][6] The major offensive began in the dawn of 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 on 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.^[7][8]

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

On 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, on 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]

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