Abyan Governorate clashes (2016–2017)

Abyan Governorate clashes (2016-present)
Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
Control in Abyan province as of February 2017
Date 22 February 2016 – present (1 year) Location Abyan Governorate, Yemen Status Ongoing AQAP is expelled from all of Abyan in early 2016 AQAP militants return to Abyan in mid 2016 As of late February 2017, AQAP remains in control of Lawdar, Shuqraq, Al Mahfid, and other smaller areas in Abyan
Belligerents
Al-Qaeda AQAP Local militias Ali Aqel gang	Yemen People's Committees Popular Resistance Al-Hizam Brigade Supported by:  United States  United Arab Emirates
Commanders and leaders
Qasim al-Raymi  (WIA) Usayd al-Adani  † Tawfiq Belaidi Abu Anas al-Sanani Abdullah Saeed Habibat † Abu Osama Al-Yasiri  (POW) Jalal Al-Seydi  † Abd Al Gani Al Rasas  † Tufayl al Taizi  † Abu Anas al Ibbi  † Abu Ali al Lahiji  † Abdullah Al-Zaidi  † Osama Haidar  † Mohamed Tahar  † Qasim Khalil  † Harithah al-Waqari † Abu Sameh al-Zinjibari †	Khader Al-Saeedi Colonel Abdullah Shamba  † Colonel Saeed Salim  † Amin al Sayyid  † Haidara Daha at al Musaymir  (POW) Shaker Al-Ghadeer Brigadier General Nasser Ali Hadi Abdullah Al-Fadhli Mohammed Alaoban Mazen Junaidi Ali Deeb Boumhal Alkazmi Rushdi al Alwani  † Abdullah Khader Hussein  † Abu Bakr Hussein Salem Staff Brig. Gen. Haidara Lahtal Staff Col. Mohammed Ali al Muazeb Colonel Abdullah Ahmad Subaihi Brig. Gen. Mohammed Hussein al Bukhaiti Brig. Gen. Mohammed Abdullah al Shamba Staff Brig. Gen. Faisal Rajab Nasser Ali Basamaa
Units involved
	Republic of Yemen Armed Forces 15th Infantry Brigade(Zinjibar) 111th Armored Brigade (Ahwar District) 115th Infantry Brigade (Shuqrah) 119th Infantry Brigade (Jaʿār)
Strength
1,000 - 2,000 (Before May 2016), 4,000+ - 12,000 (After May 2016)	4,000+ - ~7,000
Casualties and losses
140+ killed, 10+ captured	80+ killed, 35+ captured, 30+ wounded
About 15 civilians killed, dozens wounded

Ongoing

Al-Qaeda

Local militias

 Yemen

Supported by:
 United States

Republic of Yemen Armed Forces

Abyan Governorate clashes (2016–present), refers to ongoing clashes between AQAP warlords and president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi forces for the control of Abyan.

Abyan was a longtime stronghold for AQAP since the beginning of the civil war. AQAP was beginning to take parts of areas of southern Abyan from the end of 2016, when they captured Zinjibar and other towns. Internal crisis begin to erupt into Abyan between the legitimate AQAP emir in the region, Tawfiq Belaidi (brother of the late AQAP emir there, Abu Hamza al-Zinjibari) and another AQAP warlord named Abu Anas al-Sanani, over who will succeed Hamza. It's not clear who won the crisis, but the conflict killed 7 and wounded 9 in both sides.

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Wikipedia