As of late February 2017, AQAP remains in control of Lawdar, Shuqraq, Al Mahfid, and other smaller areas in Abyan
AQAP expelled from Wadea in September 2017, and from Al-Mafhad in March 2018
As of March 14, 2018, AQAP only controls or contests 20% of Abyan[1]
On March 31, 2018, government officials announced that the security situation and the front had stabilized[2]
Belligerents
Al-Qaeda
AQAP
Local militias
Ali Aqel gang
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Yemen Province (limited involvement)
Yemen
Military of Yemen
Supported by: United States United Arab Emirates (2016–17) Southern Movement (2016–17)
Sudan (2016–19)
Southern Transitional Council
Supported by:
United Arab Emirates
Revolutionary Committee/Supreme Political Council
Houthi fighters
Security Forces (pro-Saleh)
Republican Guard
Commanders and leaders
Qasim al-Raymi (Emir of AQAP) † Tariq Al-Fadhli (leader of Fadhli tribesmen loyal to AQAP) Tawfiq Belaidi (Emir of Zinjibar) Abu Anas al-Sanani (Deputy Emir of Zinjibar) Aref Ahmad Abdullah Harrahah Al Yafei (Emir of Jaʿār)[3] Abdul Hakim Amer (commander) Abi Salem al-Taizi (Emir of Mansoura) Abi Abbas al-Hadrami (commander)[4] Ali Salem Mkeda (commander) Mohammed Salem Mkeda (commander) Nasser Abdullah al-Dabani (commander)
casualties:
Usayd al-Adani (Emir of Abyan) †
Abdullah Saeed Habibat (commander) †
Khaled Abdul Nabi (commander)
Abu Osama Al-Yasiri (official) (POW)
Jalal Al-Seydi (Emir of Lawdar) †
Ali Saleh Al-Buhaith Al-Fathani (field commander) †
Abu Bilal al-Lawdari (bodyguard of Jalal Al-Seydi) †
Abdullah Al-Zaidi (Emir of Al-Ain) †
Osama Haidar (Emir of Aden Governorate) †
Mohamed Tahar (commander) †
Qasim Khalil (commander) †
Harithah al-Waqari (Deputy Emir of Abyan) †
Abu Sameh al-Zinjibari (Deputy of Abu Hamza al Zinjibari) †
Waddah Muhammed Amsouda (commander) †
Abu Obeida Al-Dhamji (commander) †
Ahmed Ali Saana (official) †
Al-Abali (field commander) †
Mukhtar Jami (commander) †
Ibrahim al-Adani (chief financial officer in Abyan) †
Arif Adel Hassan Habib (suicide bomber) †
Abu Asid al Marqishi (militant) †
Nasser Mohammed Jubah al-Maqni (commander)
Ahmed Al-Khader bin Lazraq (commander)
Abu Abdullah Al-Kazemi (bombmaker)
Al-Khader Ali Ahmed Basaree (Emir of Al-Wadea and Abyan) (DOW)
Mohammed Saleh Al-Awsiji (Emir of Al Hisn) †
Aqil Matali (Emir of Lawdar) (POW)
Ali Saleh Dehis (Emir of mudiyah) (POW)
Mohammed Nasser Dehis (Deputy Emir of mudiyah) (POW)
Ahmed Abdul Nabi (commander) †
Mohamed Abdul Nabi (fighter) (POW)
Haitham al-‘Arr (official) (POW)
Abdullah al-Huqairi (official) (POW)
al-Khader Ahmad Hussein Al-Darmali (Bombmaker) (POW)
Mohammed Saleh Saeed al-Awlaki (commander) (POW)
Salem Ali Ahmed Al-Zaidi (commander) (POW)
Nayef Al-Damaji Abu Obaidah (Emir of Lawdar) †
Salah Hadi Al-Lawdari (fighter) †
Shuaib Al-Lawdari (fighter) †
Nader Al-Jaru (fighter) †
Shamil Al-Jadani (fighter) †
Abdullah Al-Saqi (official) (POW)
Fayez Saleh Saeed Faya (official) (POW)
Ahmed Al-Khader Al-Waleedi (commander) †
Mohammed Awad Mahfar (commander)
Abu Salem Al-Walidi (Chief financial officer for Abyan) (POW)
Saleh al-Barak (commander) †
Abdu Majda (commander)
Hadi Al-Saeeli (commander)
Majed Khabtiyeh (commander) (POW)
Alaa Ahmed (commander) (POW)
Saleh Ahmed Lara (Emir of Al-Mafhad)
Nasser Mohsen Basabreen (Deputy Emir of Al-Mafhad) †
Nasser Mubarak al-Muhail (official) (POW)
Amjad al-Wahti (commander) †
Hilmi Aqil (Deputy Emir of Mansoura) (POW)
Hussein Ali Basaree (commander) †
Murad al-Doubly al-Batani al-Maki (commander) †
Sami Younes Aiash (commander) †
Abu al-Miqdad al-Dhumari (chief of medical office) †
Yasser al-Jahidi (commander) †
Abu Salem al-Adani (commander) †
Abu Hamza al-Shabwani (commander) †
Ali Aqel
Radwan Qanan (ISIL commander) †
Abu Bakr Hussein Salem (Governor of Abyan) Abdel Aziz Al-Hamzah (Deputy Governor of Abyan)[5] Abdullah Al-Fadhli (Security chief of Abyan) (WIA) Ahmed Saif Al-Mahrami (commander of fourth military region)[6] Brig.Gene. Nasr Al-Atawi (Head of 15th brigade)[7] Maj. Gen. Nasser Abdullah Barwis (chief of military staff of the fourth military region)[8] Faisal Al-Dabiya (Director General of the Office of Governor of Abyan)[7] Colonel Ahmad Amabed Nasser (Security director of Abyan (2017-present)) [9] Khader Al-Saeedi (former Governor of Abyan) Maj Gen Fadhl Baash (Special forces commander)[10] Shaker Al-Ghadeer (officer in 111th brigade)[11] Brigadier General Nasser Ali Hadi (Security director of Abyan (2010s-2017)) Ali Deeb Boumhal Alkazmi (commander of Hadi loyals in Khanfar)[12] Brig. Gen. Haidara Lahtal (Commander of Abyan Axis) Major General Ahmed Saif Yafei (Commander of Forth military region)[13] Staff Col. Mohammed Ali al Muazeb (Commander of 15th brigade (2016-2017))[14][15] Colonel Abdullah Ahmad Subaihi (Commander of 15th brigade (2017-present))[16] Brig. Gen. Mohammed Hussein al Bukhaiti (commander of 111th brigade)[17] Brig. Gen. Mohammed Abdullah al Shamba (Commander in 115th brigade)[13][18] Staff Brig. Gen. Faisal Rajab (Commander in 119th brigade)[13] Nasser Ali Basmayeh (Commander of 119th brigade)[19] Colonel Nasser Mahdi Abdullah (Official) Major General Ali Nasser Lakhma (Deputy interior minister) Abdul Alim Abdul Jalil (137th brigade commander) Sheikh Mohammed Ghaleb Afifi (Director of Khanfar)[20] Brig Ahmed Mohammed Al-Shubaili (115th brigade commander) (WIA) Bassam Al-Mihdhar (official) Maj. Gen. Fadl Hassan (commander of 4th Military region)[21] Colonel Abdul Qader Al-Jaari (chief of staff of 103th brigade)[22] Brigadier General Saleh Ali Hassan (Chief of Staff of the 4th Military Region)[13] Major General Mahmoud Ahmed Salem Al-Subaihi (Commander of 4th military region)[13] Ahmed Nasser Saeed (Assistant Undersecretary of the Governorate of Abyan)[13] Ahmed Taleb Al Rabie (Director of Mahfad)[13] Mohammed Al-Fulin (Secretary General of the Local Council )[13] Ali Omar Saeed al-Kazemi (chairman of the Abyani committee)[13] Sheikh Walid bin Nasser Al-Fadhli (pro-Hadi tribal leader)[23] Brig. Gen. Nasser Abed Rabbo Mohammed (commander in 115th brigade) Moin Ahmed Ali (head of the rescue committee )[24] Nasser Al-Dhamji (commander in 115th brigade)[25] Mohammed bin Mohammed (Head of Intelligence in Abyan) [26] Brigadier General Ahmed Salem Al Wadi (Director of Armament Department )[27] Brigadier General Rukn Abdullah Hussein Al-Qaqai (Commander of 115th brigade) [27] Brig. Gen. Ali Qumali (commander of 103th brigade) [28] Colonel Waqn al-Nub (Deputy security chief of Zinjibar)[29] Qaisar Al-Aidarous (President of the Court of Appeal of Abyan)[29] Abdul Razzaq Sultan (Deputy Prosecutor)[29] Mohammad Mana (Deputy Prosecutor)[29] Abdullah al-Wahidi (Director of Lawdar)[26] Colonel Ali Saeed Al Amisi (Deputy security chief of Abyan) Colonel Ali Ahmed Hafin (commander of special security forces) Ameen Faisal (security chief of Khanfar) Nasser Nasser Marsa (commander of the operations of the 119th Brigade)[30] Sheikh Ahmed Salem Al-Aseeli (Deputy Governor of Al Bayda Governorate) (WIA) Hussein Ahmed ali (Director of Jayshan District)[31] Al-Khader Hamsan Al-Audhali (Security director of Lawdar)[32] Sabri Ali (pro-Hadi tribal leader) Abdullah Abdulsalam al-Qabli (115th brigade official) (WIA) Brigadier General Sanad al-Misari (5th brigade official)[33] Lieutenant Colonel Samir Al-Hayyed (Mudiyah director)[33] Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Mursa (5th brigade commander)[33]
Casualties:
Abd Rabbo Hussein (General of 15th brigade) †
Lieutenant Colonel Muhanna bin Saad Al-Baiz (pilot) †
Colonel Abdullah Shamba (Anti-AQAP militia leader)[34]†
Haidara Daha (deputy Governor of Abyan) (POW)
Rushdi al Alwani (Hizam commander of Lawdar) †
Abdullah Khader Hussein (official)
Nasser Ali Nasser (official) †
Ali Abdul Hakim Daraan (popular committee fighter) †
Ali Saleh Haydara Al-Awd (Hizam Shuqrah commander) †
Yasser al-Amoudi (Director of Rasad district) (WIA) (POW)[35]
Al-Khader Ahmed Mohammed Al-Shubaili (Army soldier) †
Mahdhar Abdul (leader of Popular committees in Laedar) †
Saeed Salim al-Mul (Army colonel) †
Colonel Ali Ahmed Al-Awad [36] Col. Salim Al Muhathithi [36] Sheikh Abdur Rab Al-Naqib Ahmad al-Rabizi Abdullatif Al-Sayed Ahmed Hamid Al-Marqashi Ahmed Mansour Al-Marqashi Amin al-Saqqaf (WIA) Ali Al-Fadhli (WIA) Mohammed Al-oban Mohammed al-Nakhbi[37] Mazen Junaidi Mokhtar Al-Nubi[37] Abdul Rahman al-Shanini[24] Mokhtar Mohammed Haydan Al-Habashi Al-Audhali Munir Abu Al-Yamamah[38] Abdul Razzaq Al-Jordemi (WIA)
Mahmoud Shamba (Shuqrah al-Hizam company commander) Abdul Rahman al-Shanini (Rapid Deployment Force commander of Khanfar)[39] Hamza al-Mahouri[40] Col Fawaz Al-Shabahi [41] Saleh Al-Amiri Abu Qahtan[42] Abu Raghad Shaye[43] Omar Jardana
Casualties:
Nasser Saleh Al-Jaari 'Jeddo' †
Abdulhakim Omair †
Hussein Ahmed Qomata †
Unknown
Units involved
Ansar al-Sharia
Sons of Abyan[44]
Hamza al-Zinjibari battalion[45]
Other Islamic militants
Tribal fighters(some after April 2017)
Republic of Yemen Armed Forces
Tribal fighters(Some in the side of AQAP since April 2017)
15th Infantry Brigade(Zinjibar)
111th Armored Brigade (Ahwar District)
115th Infantry Brigade (Shuqrah)
119th Infantry Brigade (Jaʿār)
103th Infantry Brigade (Jaʿār)
5th Infantry Brigade (Mudiyah District)
Special forces[10]
Southern Movement[46]
Al Hizam brigade(Security Belt)
Rapid Deployment Force
1st support brigade
2nd storm battalion
6th Hazm Battalion
People's Committees
Popular Resistance
15th Armored Brigade[47]
Strength
1,000-2,000 (Before May 2016) 4,000-12,000 (After May 2016)[48][49]
Yemen: 4,000-7,000 (Hadi loyalists) Southern Movement: 15,000 (Southern Movement and Al Hizam Brigade fighters)[50]
The Abyan conflict was a series of clashes between forces of AQAP (Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) loyal to Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and forces loyal to Southern Movement for the control of Abyan between 2016 and 2018.
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