South Yemen insurgency
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The South Yemen insurgency is a term used by the
Yemeni government The Cabinet of Yemen refers to the governing body of the internationally recognized Yemen government led by the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi who replaced former President of Yemen Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi on 7 ...
to describe the protests and attacks on government forces in southern
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
, ongoing since 27 April 2009. Although the violence has been blamed on elements within the southern secessionist movement, leaders of the group maintain that their aims of independence are to be achieved through peaceful means, and claim that attacks are from ordinary citizens in response to the government's provocative actions. The insurgency comes amid the Shia insurgency in the country's north as led by the Houthi communities. Southern leaders led a brief, unsuccessful secession in 1994 following unification. Many of them are involved in the present secession movement. Southern separatist insurgents are active mainly in the area of former
South Yemen South Yemen ( ar, اليمن الجنوبي, al-Yaman al-Janubiyy), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (, ), also referred to as Democratic Yemen (, ) or Yemen (Aden) (, ), was a communist state that existed from 1967 to 19 ...
, but also in
Ad Dali' Governorate Dhale ( ar, الضالع ') is one of the Yemeni governorates that was created after the unification of Yemen. The population of the province accounts for 2% of the total population of the republic.Central Statistical Organisation of Yemen.Statis ...
, which was not a part of the independent southern state. They are supported by the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, even though the UAE is a member of the
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
n-led coalition working to support the Yemeni government under President
Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi ( ar, عبدربه منصور هادي, translit=ʿAbd Rabbih Manṣūr Hādī Yemeni pronunciation: ; born 1 September 1945) is a Yemeni politician and former field marshal of the Yemeni Armed Forces who served as the pres ...
.


Insurgents

The political movement behind the so-called 'insurgency' is a group called the
Southern Movement The Southern Movement ( ''al-Ḥirāk al-Janūbiyy''), sometimes known as the Southern Separatist Movement, or South Yemen Movement, or Aden Movement, and colloquially known as al-Hirak, is a political movement and paramilitary organization act ...
. Led by exiled South Yemeni leaders and opposition figures, this group calls for peaceful protests. However, their protests have recently often turned into riots, some with armed fighters. The insurgency has occasionally been linked by the Yemeni government to Islamist groups, including ex-military commanders and South-Yemeni tribes. South Yemen is home to several jihadist movements, some of which are believed to be affiliated with
al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
, most notably a group called the
Aden-Abyan Islamic Army The Aden-Abyan Islamic Army (AAIA, ar, جيش عدن أبين الإسلامي) is an Islamist militant group based in southern Yemen, led by Zein al-Abideen al-Mehdar (also known as Abu El-Hassan El-Mohader). The group has been designated as a ...
. Naser al-Wahishi the leader of
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit=Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula or , ''Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jaz ...
expressed support for the South Yemeni separatist movement. However leaders of the Southern Movement were quick to deny any links with al-Qaeda. Many believe that Saleh's government is using al-Qaeda as a means to win international support against insurgencies in the North and South. As a response to such accusations, Tariq al-Fadhli - one of the leaders of the southern movement - posted a video of himself on YouTube raising the American flag with the national anthem over his compound in an attempt to openly distance himself from Al-Qaeda. There are many leaders within the movement, including Fadi Hassan Ahmed Baoum who is head of the Southern Movement's Supreme Council. He was arrested and later released by Yemeni authorities. Meanwhile,
Tahir Tamah Taher ( ar, طاهر) (spelled Tahir and Tahar in English and French, Тагир in Russian; Pashto,Urdu and Persian: طاهر,; ) is a name meaning "pure" or "virtuous". The origin of this name is Arabic. There are several Semitic variations tha ...
has been said to be behind the group's militant faction.


Timeline


2009–2011 insurgency

*2009 **April 2009 ***28 April 2009, 14 people are injured and 1 soldier is killed as separatist militants attack a checkpoint in Mukalla; this was the 7th soldier to be killed in South Yemen secessionist violence. **May 2009 ***3 May 2009, one man is killed and 4 are injured in a bomb blast carried out by separatist militia. ***4 May 2009, armed South-Yemeni protesters ambushed a military base in the south, killing 1 soldier. **June 2009 ***8 June 2009, 2 people were killed and 4 were wounded during protests in the South, bringing total casualties to 11 soldiers and 11 others killed. **July 2009 ***25 July 2009, 1 person was killed and 4 injured as protesters clash with police in Dhaleh.
google news Google News is a news aggregator service developed by Google. It presents a continuous flow of links to articles organized from thousands of publishers and magazines. Google News is available as an app on Android, iOS, and the Web. Google rel ...
br>Four Yemeni soldiers killed as unrest swells
,
***28 July 2009, 4 Yemeni soldiers are killed as armed men attack a government checkpoint in the south. It was said supporters of Tareq al-Fadhli, an Islamist leader who called for protests in response for the death of 16 people at a separatist rally, were responsible **October 2009 ***25 October 2009, gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying the body of a soldier killed in
Sa'dah Saada ( ar, صَعْدَة, translit=Ṣaʿda), a city and ancient capital in the northwest of Yemen, is the capital and largest city of the province of the same name, and the county seat of the county of the same name. The city is located in the ...
, the ambush kills 2 soldiers and injures 3. **November 2009 ***1 November 2009, armed rebels attack the headquarters of security corps in
Abyan Governorate Abyan ( ar, أَبْيَن ) 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 n ...
, killing 1 soldier and kidnapping Deputy Governor of Abyan, Adel Hamoud al-Sabri. *2010 **January 2010 ***24 January 2010, in the southern province of Shabwa, in Yemen, three members of Yemen's security forces were killed after an attack on a checkpoint. ***25 January 2010, during riots, one policeman was killed while 11 policemen and 3 school children were injured. ***27 January 2010, separatists shoot dead a policeman in Al-Ghaydah. **February 2010 ***1–24 February 2010, government crackdown arrests 130 separatists in South Yemen. ***13 February 2010, Riots in al-Hawta city, Lahij province left one dead and 7 injured. According to Hawta security director Ali Ammar: "Separatist elements blocked the roads, opened fire randomly and hurled a grenade at a security patrol, killing a citizen and injuring others." ***17 February 2010, Tareq al-Fadhli announced that starting on 20 February, the next phase of the South Yemeni uprising would begin with mass protests and civil disobedience campaign. The man who died was a protester and another 5 protesters were arrested. However, in a separate clashes armed separatists killed a soldier and wounded three in Shabwa province. ***20 February 2010, separatists kill the director of a criminal investigations unit and one of his guards in an ambush on a government convoy, another three people were injured. In a separate incident clashes erupted between security forces and gunmen in al-Dalea. ***22 February 2010, Faris al-Dhama, a South Yemeni activist is arrested and killed by the Yemeni government. ***23 February 2010, a soldier is killed by armed separatists in Dhale Province ***26 February 2010, a soldier is killed in an ambush in the Abyan province. ***27 February 2010, Yemen declares state of emergency in southern Yemen. This decision follows a rise in attacks against soldiers. **March 2010 ***1 March 2010, Southern Yemeni activist, accused of links with Al-Qaeda, his wife, son and daughter and two policemen were killed in an armed attack against his home. Another policemen was wounded. In a second time over 19 people were killed in a bombing in the city of
Ta'izz Taiz ( ar, تَعِزّ, Taʿizz) is a city in southwestern Yemen. It is located in the Yemeni Highlands, near the port city of Mocha on the Red Sea, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is the capital of Taiz Governorate. With a populat ...
. ***11 March 2010, two militants were killed and 10 others wounded in clashes with police. 6 policemen were also wounded. **April 2010 ***1 April 2010, an argument between inmates from the separatist Movement for the Independence of Southern Yemen and guards resulted in a bomb being thrown and up to forty inmates escaping in Daleh. Four were reported injured. ***15 April 2010, two militants were wounded during a riot after a demonstration in the city of Daleh. **June 2010 ***4 June 2010, a Yemeni colonel and two of his bodyguards were killed in an attack. ***20 June 2010, two officers were killed in an ambush in the province of Dali. ***23 June 2010, three soldiers were killed in fighting in Dhaleh province. ***24 June 2010, three soldiers and a civilian were killed, and eight others wounded in clashes in Dhaleh province. ***25 June 2010, one Southern Movement separatist was killed by security forces in Aden after a firefight erupted during anti-government protests. **July 2010 ***7 July 2010, two demonstrators died and four were injured when police attempted to break up anti-government protest in Aden. ***27 July 2010, separatists ambushed a security patrol in Lahij, killing four soldiers and wounding nine others. **September 2010 ***5 September 2010, Two people were killed and seven others were injured Sunday in clashes between security forces and militants in Lahij governorate in southern Yemen. **December 2010 ***17 December 2010, clashes killed four Yemeni soldiers and an army officer after soldiers shot dead a Southern Movement member, Abbas Tanbaj, in Habilain in Lahij governorate. Eight additional people are reported wounded, including five soldiers, two militants, and a civilian. *2011 **January 2011 ***8 January 2011, Southern Movement militants attacked a checkpoint in al Malah district in Lahij governorate. At last two soldiers were killed and another was injured in the attack. ***10 January 2011, clashes in Lahij governorate killed at last two soldiers. ***12 January 2011, fighting between southern separatists and soldiers in Lahij governorate killed four Yemeni soldiers and wounded ten others. ***13 January 2011, southern Movement supporters demonstrated in Mukallah in Hadramawt governorate demanding that detained militants be released. One militant was killed and two others were wounded. ***16 January 2011, one woman was killed and seven civilians were wounded in Habilain in Lahij governorate during fighting. The army reported that four of its soldiers were wounded during the clashes.


2011 Yemeni revolution

*24 February 2011, at least one civilian was killed during a Southern Movement protest in the city of Lawder in Abyan governorate. *28 March 2011, in
Shabwa The ancient city of Shabwa ( Ḥaḑramitic: , romanized: , ; ar, شَبْوَة, translit=Šabwa) was the capital of the Kingdom of Hadhramaut at the South Arabian region of the Arabian Peninsula. The ruins of the city are located in the north ...
the Southern Movement attacked and looted Central Security camps, taking control of Nessab, Al-Saaed, Haban and Maefaa districts of the governorate. *4 April 2011, southern separatists stormed military checkpoints in the southern governorate of Lahij. The clashes left one soldier dead and five soldiers wounded. *20 April 2011, gunmen attacked security forces at a protest in Khormaksar city in Aden governorate, killing one soldier and wounding at least four other people. Some witnesses report that the gunmen were connected to the Southern Movement. *10 June 2011, suspected Southern Movement militants attacked a military checkpoint outside al Habilain in Lahij governorate. At least five soldiers and three rebels were killed. *16 June 2011, gunmen linked with the Southern Movement shot and killed two Yemeni soldiers in Lahij governorate. *24 June 2011, at least three soldiers and a passerby were killed in an attack led by South Yemen militants in
al Mansoura Mansoura (' , rural: ) is a city in Egypt, with a population of 960,423. It is the capital of the Dakahlia Governorate. Etymology ''Mansoura'' in Arabic means "victorious". The city is named after the El Mansoura Battle against Louis IX of Fr ...
. A famous Southern separatist leader Jeyab al Saadi was killed when security forces opened fire on the funeral procession in Aden. *1 July 2011, an armed militant from the Southern Movement was killed in an attack on an army position in Aden. Six others, including three soldiers, were injured in the clash. *9 July 2011, Southern Movement was blamed for an ambush against a security patrol killing a Yemeni army officer and two troops. Two civilians were also wounded in the attack. *23 August 2011, armed tribesmen backed by the Southern Movement captured a prison in Lahj. Government forces were unable to counter the heavy fire and surrendered. Over 20 prisoners were freed.


Post-Revolution (2012)

The southern movement, like the
Houthis The Houthi movement (; ar, ٱلْحُوثِيُّون ''al-Ḥūthīyūn'' ), officially called Ansar Allah (' ''Partisans of God'' or ''Supporters of God'') and colloquially simply Houthis, is an Islamist political and armed movement that ...
rejected a GCC brokered deal between the GPC and
Al-Islah Islah or Al-Islah is an Arabic word usually translated as "reform", in the sense of "to improve, to better, to correct something and removing vice or to put something into a better position." Islah may also refer to: People *Islah Jad (born 1951), ...
and boycotted the February 21, 2012 presidential election leaving
Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi ( ar, عبدربه منصور هادي, translit=ʿAbd Rabbih Manṣūr Hādī Yemeni pronunciation: ; born 1 September 1945) is a Yemeni politician and former field marshal of the Yemeni Armed Forces who served as the pres ...
as only candidate.


2013


2014

*17 January 2014, Clashes between Yemeni troops and secessionist militants killed four people Friday in southern Yemen, two of them soldiers, sources on both sides said. The fighting broke out when the militants ambushed a military vehicle, killing the soldiers and wounding four others, a military source told AFP. *30 January 2014, two soldiers were among four people killed when the army clashed with separatists in Daleh in
south Yemen South Yemen ( ar, اليمن الجنوبي, al-Yaman al-Janubiyy), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (, ), also referred to as Democratic Yemen (, ) or Yemen (Aden) (, ), was a communist state that existed from 1967 to 19 ...
.
Southern Movement The Southern Movement ( ''al-Ḥirāk al-Janūbiyy''), sometimes known as the Southern Separatist Movement, or South Yemen Movement, or Aden Movement, and colloquially known as al-Hirak, is a political movement and paramilitary organization act ...
activists ambushed an army vehicle at dawn with automatic fire, killing two soldiers. Also were killed two attackers and seven more wounded in a subsequent firefight. :An activist with
Southern Movement The Southern Movement ( ''al-Ḥirāk al-Janūbiyy''), sometimes known as the Southern Separatist Movement, or South Yemen Movement, or Aden Movement, and colloquially known as al-Hirak, is a political movement and paramilitary organization act ...
confirmed the clash, saying the attackers belonged to the militant Southern Resistance group. *5 February 2014, unidentified gunmen shot dead four Yemeni soldiers an attack on a military vehicle in the southern
Shabwah Governorate Shabwah ( ar, شَبْوَة, Šabwa) is a governorate (province) of Yemen. Its main town is Ataq. During the Yemeni Civil War in 2015, the province became a battleground. The battle, known as the Shabwah Campaign, ended on August 15, 2015, af ...
. They opened fire as the vehicle headed to an army checkpoint near the port of
Balhaf Balhaf is an industrial port town and an oasis in an area of coastal dunes in the Burum Coastal Area of Yemen. It has palm trees and white sand, which gives way to fields of black lava and to the fishing port of Bir-Ali. Qana, a major point of depa ...
gas-export terminal. *7 February 2014, four soldiers killed and many wounded when Yemeni tribesmen ambushed a military convoy accompanying technicians repairmen which were sent to repair an oil pipeline that was blown up by tribal militias in the restive southeastern
Hadhramaut Governorate Hadhramaut or Hadramawt or Hadramout ( ar, حضرموت ''Ḥaḍramawt'') is a governorate of Yemen. Lying within the large historical region of Hadhramaut, it is the country's largest governorate. The capital of Hadhramut is the city of Muka ...
. *18 February 2014, Yemen's Ministry of Defense said that nine people were killed in clashes between armed men and Yemeni soldiers in the southern city of Dalea. Including four soldiers and one officer were killed in the clashes. Also fourteen other soldiers were kidnapped. *9 March 2014, At least two Yemeni soldiers and four militants were killed in a clash on Saturday when fighters tried to attack a military compound in southern
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
. *7 August 2014, military and local officials said that eleven militants and four Yemeni soldiers were killed in attacks on two army posts in the southeastern Hadramawt province.


2015


2016


2017

In the end of April 2017, Governor of the
Aden Governorate Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...
Aidarus al-Zoubaidi was sacked by President
Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi ( ar, عبدربه منصور هادي, translit=ʿAbd Rabbih Manṣūr Hādī Yemeni pronunciation: ; born 1 September 1945) is a Yemeni politician and former field marshal of the Yemeni Armed Forces who served as the pres ...
, with the reason of disloyalty to him, and loyalty to the Southern Movement. On 3 May 2017, major rallies were held in Aden to protest the decision of Hadi. One week later,
Southern Transitional Council The Southern Transitional Council (STC; ''al-Majlis al-Intiqālī l-Janūbiyy'') is a secessionist organization in South Yemen. The 26 members of the STC include the governors of five southern governorates and two government ministers. It was f ...
was formed, and some of the members were the governors of
Dhale Dhale or Dhala, also spelled Dali and Dhalea and sometimes prefixed with Al or Ad ( ar, الضالع, Aḍ-Ḍāliʿ), is the capital town of Dhale Governorate in south-western Yemen. It is located at around , in the elevation of around 1500 metr ...
,
Shabwah Shabwah ( ar, شَبْوَة, Šabwa) is a governorate (province) of Yemen. Its main town is Ataq. During the Yemeni Civil War in 2015, the province became a battleground. The battle, known as the Shabwah Campaign, ended on August 15, 2015, af ...
,
Hadhramaut Hadhramaut ( ar, حَضْرَمَوْتُ \ حَضْرَمُوتُ, Ḥaḍramawt / Ḥaḍramūt; Hadramautic: 𐩢𐩳𐩧𐩣𐩩, ''Ḥḍrmt'') is a region in South Arabia, comprising eastern Yemen, parts of western Oman and southern Sau ...
,
Lahij Lahij or Lahej ( ar, لحج, Laḥj, links=no), also called al-Hawtah, is a city and an area located between Ta'izz and Aden in Yemen. From the 18th to the 20th century, its rulers were of the Abdali branch of the Al-Sallami tribe who trace th ...
,
Socotra Socotra or Soqotra (; ar, سُقُطْرَىٰ ; so, Suqadara) is an island of the Republic of Yemen in the Indian Ocean, under the ''de facto'' control of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist participant in Yemen’s ...
, and
Al Mahrah Al Mahrah ( ar, ٱلْمَهْرَة '), or simply Mahra, is a governorate (''muhafazah'') of Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Situated in the area of the former Mahra Sultanate, its capital is Al Ghaydah, and it has intern ...
governorates. It also have partial control in
Abyan Abyan ( ar, أَبْيَن ) 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 not ...
and Aden governorates. One day later, Hadi rejected the council, and called it illegitimate.


2018

*28 January 2018 – Beginning of the
Battle of Aden (2018) The Battle of Aden was a conflict between the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and the Yemeni government around the headquarters in Aden. Background In Yemen, separatists have been calling for the independence of South Yemen, which was until ...
between the Yemeni Government and the
Southern Transitional Council The Southern Transitional Council (STC; ''al-Majlis al-Intiqālī l-Janūbiyy'') is a secessionist organization in South Yemen. The 26 members of the STC include the governors of five southern governorates and two government ministers. It was f ...
(STC) *30 January 2018 – STC conquers Aden


2019

*29 August 2019 – the Southern Transitional Council
take control "Take Control" is a song by the American singer Amerie from her third studio album, ''Because I Love It'' (2007). It was released as the album's lead single on October 17, 2006. The song was written by Cee-Lo Green, Mike Caren and Amerie, and was ...
of Aden and
Zinjibar Zinjibar ( ar, زِنْجِبَار ''Zinjibār'') 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 t ...
.


2022

*7 August 2022 – the STC started an
offensive Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
in the Ayban province.


See also

*
2011 Yemeni protests The Yemeni Revolution (intifada), also known as the Yemeni Revolution of Dignity followed the initial stages of the Tunisian Revolution and occurred simultaneously with the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and other Arab Spring protests in the ...
*
List of modern conflicts in the Middle East This is a list of modern conflicts in the Middle East ensuing in the geographic and political region known as the Middle East. The "Middle East" is traditionally defined as the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia), Levant, and Egypt and neighboring ...
*
Southern Movement The Southern Movement ( ''al-Ḥirāk al-Janūbiyy''), sometimes known as the Southern Separatist Movement, or South Yemen Movement, or Aden Movement, and colloquially known as al-Hirak, is a political movement and paramilitary organization act ...


References


External links


Demystifying Yemen's Conflict (Midwest Diplomacy)Timeline: Yemen (BBC)YEMEN: The conflict in Saada Governorate – analysis
''IRIN'', 24 July 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:South Yemen Insurgency (2009-Present) Arab separatism Rebellions in Yemen Wars involving Yemen Separatism in Yemen Conflicts in 2010 Conflicts in 2011 Conflicts in 2012 Conflicts in 2013 Conflicts in 2014 National security in Yemen 2009 in Yemen 2010s in Yemen Conflicts in 2009 Conflicts in 2015 Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)