Background
Abyan was a stronghold for AQAP at the beginning of the civil war. AQAP was beginning to take pieces of southern Abyan in late 2016, when they capturedClashes and other incidents
On February 21, AQAP militants withdrew fromGround offensive
On April 22, Hadi loyalists and their partners prepared to attackAQAP retreats and comebacks
AQAP agreed to begin withdrawing from Zinjibar on May 3. AQAP had previously reinforced positions in western Abyan governorate ahead of a planned government offensive, but later agreed to begin withdrawing its forces after further negotiations. The group reportedly agreed on April 30 to withdraw from Zinjibar on the condition that government forces not enter the city and that local militias not resume their activities. AQAP sought guarantees that its members would remain immune from future prosecution. Local mediators gave the group three days to withdraw before a clearing operation on May 3, but offered an extension to avert a costly battle. Al Qaeda began withdrawing on May 5, evacuating several governmental buildings and retreating towardsSmall attacks and AQAP comeback
AQAP returned to Abyan in mid-September 2016, with small attacks against security forces. On September 14 militants attacked security forces in al ‘Ayn city, Abyan governorate. AQAP militants killed two Hizam security forces after approaching a checkpoint dressed in military uniforms. On September 15 Al Qaeda mortars targeted security forces in Mudia district. Hizam security forces attempted to clear the mortar site following the attack. Fighting erupted in western and northern Abyan, with many gunfights. On September 23 one soldier was killed in Zinjibar after an AQAP attack. As of September 26, AQAP had returned to Lawder and Al Wade'a District, fighting Hizam troops, resulting in the death of AQAP commander Abdullah Saeed Habibat and the capture of Abu Osama Al-Yasiri in Al Wadea. Two militants and one Hizam troop were killed in the clashes. As of October 6, AQAP had made a comeback in al Mafhad district by attacking security forces, killing at least one Hizam soldier. On October 20 fighting erupted in Zinjibar and Lawder that left 12 Hizam troops and 7 AQAP dead. On October 27 fighting in Lawdar left three security forces and one AQAP commander dead. Seven AQAP fighters were arrested after clashes in Zinjibar and Lawdar. in med-November During a 2-hour battle in Lawder and Jaar, AQAP stole heavy machine guns and supplies from Hizam troops. On November 20 AQAP attacks killed more than three AQAP troops in Lawdar. On November 27 Hizam arrested two AQAP in Jaar. On December 20 5 Hizam troops were killed in Lawdar by AQAP attacks. On December 30, a US drone strike killed AQAP Emir of Lawdar inZinjibar attack
As of the end of February, AQAP remained in control of about half of Abyan. On February 21 AQAP sized large convoys with weapons from Hadi's government and sent them to Lawdar. On February 24 AQAP fighters killed 8 government soldiers, and wounded another 11 in a suicide bombing inAQAP fighting with US and fighting escalation
On March 2, US drone strikes killed 5 AQAP fighters in rural Abyan. On March 3, US airstrikes killed AQAP's Emir of Aden, Osama Haidar. All of the fighters in the vehicle died. US soldiers were reported to land in the same place, and had a gunfight with al-Qaeda, before retreating via helicopter.Agreement, Southern Transitional Council, continued fighting
115th brigade attacks, STC and Hadi loyals fighting
On August 7 many AQAP fighters arrived fromAl Wadea offensive
On September 12 more than 40 armored vehicles of Hizam forces invaded AQAP controlled parts in Al Wade'a District, with support from Saudi Arabian Air Force, and raided AQAP positions. During the fighting, Hizam forces captured an AQAP explosives and weapons barracks. Later on, Hizam forces raided an AQAP compound in Wadea and captured 15 AQAP fighters, including commander Abu Abdullah Al-Kazemi, bombmaker Ahmed Al-Khader bin Lazraq and Nasser Mohammed Jubah al-Maqni.{{Cite web, url=https://sahaafa.net/show3016724.html, title=مقتل قيادات من القاعدة في ظروف غامضة عقب يومين من القاء القبض عليهم بأبين, website=sahaafa.net, accessdate=August 18, 2024 Three soldiers were wounded.{{Cite web, url=https://twitter.com/demolinari/status/908186474381791233, title=x.com, accessdate=August 18, 2024 During operation on September 13, a Saudi colonel pilot was killed after his plane crashed due to technical failures. Afterwards, Hizam forces captured two AQAP compounds that were used to create weapons, killing 6 fighters, and capturing 7 more. The remaining AQAP fighters retreated towards the AQAP bastion in Al Mahfad District. On September 14 a drone strike killed two AQAP leaders, Harithah al-Waqari and field commander Ali Saleh Al-Buhaith Al-Fathani, in Mudiyah. A day later, the three captured AQAP commanders were mysteriously killed while in custody in a possible execution. On September 16 Hizam forces advanced further in Wadea and clashed with the Emir of AQAP there, Al-Khader Ali Ahmed Basaree who also served as the Emir of Abyan after Usayd al-Adani. The Hizam captured Wadea, and later found the body of Al-Khader Ali Ahmed Basaree, who died from his wounds in an abandoned building. AQAP terrorists ambushed the deputy commander of Hizam in Abyan, Fahd Hassan Alawi Garmah. Fahd was not injured, but one of his soldiers was killed. AQAP later claimed that two soldiers died. On September 18 AQAP claimed it killed 4 Hizam soldiers in Al Ayn in an IED attack. On September 19 Hizam forces raided the houses of the Emirs of Lawdar and Al Hisn, killing the latter, Mohammed Saleh Al-Awsiji and capturing the former, Aqil Matali.{{Cite web, url=https://www.aljazeera.net/news/2017/9/19/%d8%aa%d8%ac%d8%af%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b9%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%83-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%86%d9%8a%d9%81%d8%a9-%d9%82%d8%b1%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d8%af%d9%88%d8%af, title=تجدد المعارك العنيفة قرب الحدود اليمنية السعودية, website=الجزيرة نت, accessdate=August 18, 2024 Hizam forces arrived in AQAP stronghold Mudiyah, in a prelude to clearing Al-Qaeda terrorists. Abu Bakr Hussein Salem later arrived there, after Hizam secured the town. On September 23 two AQAP commanders were captured in Mudiyah. The first is the Emir of Mudiyah District, Ali Saleh Dehis and his second in command, Mohammed Nasser Dehis. On September 26 Al-Hizam forces raided the house of AQAP senior terrorist commander in Abyan, Ahmed Abdul Nabi. Ahmed was the brother of Khaled Abdul Nabi, another AQAP senior commander, who had surrendered some months before. The terrorist refused to surrender after a 10-day negotiation, resulting to his death. His son, Mohamed Abdul Nabi, another son, and another 3 of Nabi's men were arrested by Hizam forces, which sustained 3 injuries. Three of Nabi's men escaped. One of the wounded Hizam fighters was the commander of the operation, Abdullah Ali al-Yazidi. On September 27 Hizam forces captured two AQAP officials in Al-Ain, Abyan, Haitham al-‘Arr and Abdullah al-Huqairi. Rapid Intervention forces captured an Al-Qaeda terrorist who served as an explosives expert for the organization, al-Khader Ahmad Hussein Al-Darmali. He was responsible for IED attacks and car bombs. An IED explosion injured two Hizam soldiers in Jaar. The attack was claimed by AQAP.Further attacks during 2017
On October 2 AQAP claimed responsibility for an ambush east of Mudiyah that killed a soldier and damaged an armored vehicle. On October 5 an AQAP IED in Mydiyah wounded 7 Hizam soldiers. A day later, an AQAP suicide bomber detonated himself in the convoy of Khanfir district Hizam commander Colonel Abdul Rahman Al-Shuneini in Shuqrah, killing 4 and wounding 7. Al-Shuneini was seriously wounded.{{cite web, url=http://adengad.net/news/281111/, title=عاجل :تفجير عبوة ناسفة بالقرب من تواجد قوة امنية بمودية ولا ضحايا, first=عدن, last=الغد, website=عدن الغد On October 9 50 UAEAQAP decline of activity
On January 7, 2018, a commander of Hizam forces in Wadea was wounded by an IED. The commander was the brother of Hizam commander Abdelhakim Omair, who was killed during an AQAP ambush. On January 15 AQAP terrorists shelled the camp of 1st Hazm Battalion camp in Mahfad from the Al-Khayala mountains. One soldier was wounded by shrapnel. On January 18 AQAP targeted the vehicle of Hizam leader Salem Muhaim at the eastern entrance to Al-Mahfad town. Two soldiers were wounded. On January 28 a US drone strike killed three AQAP fighters in Abyan. On February 11 two AQAP terrorists were captured in Jaar by Hizam forces, suspected of leading a 15-man AQAP force in a bank attack in Aden in July 2017 that killed the bank's security manager. On February 16 AQAP fighters detonated an IED in a Hizam vehicle, killing one soldier and wounding three.Operation Sweeping Torrent, Hizam infighting, fighting declining
On March 8 Hizam forces unleashed Operation Sweeping Torrent to take control of Al Mahfad from AQAP. They began to advance on AQAP positions in the countryside and mountains. During the advance, AQAP emir of Al-Mahfad, Saleh Ahmed Lara, surrendered alongside 8 of his men. His deputy, Nasser Mohsen Basabreen, refused to surrender and was killed in battle. On March 9 after clearing Mahfad, Hizam forces raided Wadi Hamara, capturing AQAP official Nasser Mubarak al-Muhail, alongside 5 others. On March 10 forces of AbdulLatif al-Sayed killed the commander of Hizam forces in Mahfad, Salim Muhaim al-Kazemi, along with his deputy, Saddam Ali Touhal, in an apparent power struggle. On March 11 Hizam forces declared the end of the operation. On March 18 suspected AQAP gunmen attacked the convoy of Hizam's 2nd storm battalion commander, Manif al-Zubaidi, in Mahfad, killing three soldiers and wounding another. AQAP ambushed two vehicles of Hizam in Mudiyah, while they headed toBattle of Maraqisha
On May 10 Al-Sayed forces numbering about 500 fighters invaded one of AQAP's last remaining strongholds in Abyan, in Khobar al-Maraqisha. About 30 AQAP fighters were there. During the fighting, several were killed and military vehicles were destroyed. The remaining AQAP forces withdrew from Maraqisha, which was then fully occupied by Hizam forces. Casualties included 6 AQAP fighters dead, and 4 Hizam soldiers killed and 12 wounded. On May 11 Hizam forces under Abdulrahman Al-Shanini pursued fleeing AQAP medical chief Abu al-Miqdad al-Dhumari, and killed him, alongside 3 of his fighters. Four of his fighters were captured. Hizam casualties were 3 killed and 8 wounded.Battle of Ahwar and other incidents
On May 12 Hizam forces under Saleh Ahmed bin Nasser al-Kazemi and Commander of the rapid intervention forces Abdullah Ali Rabie al-Kazemi, attacked AQAP forces in Ahwar. Hizam casualties were 4 killed and 3 injured. AQAP casualties were an unspecified number of dead and wounded. Apparently, the clashes did not result in clearing the AQAP fighters from the Ahwar region. On May 25 suspected AQAP forces planted an IED in the headquarters of Hizam in Lawdar. One Hizam soldier was wounded trying to defuse a bomb, followed by a gunfight between AQAP and Hizam. On May 26 1 Hizam fighter was killed and four others wounded when their vehicle was struck by a landmine in Al-Mafhad. On May 30 two suspected AQAP gunmen on a motorbike killed Rapid intervention forces commander, Houd Salih al-Marimi, close to a Qat market in Zinjibar.{{cite web, title=إغتيال قائد أمني بارز في أبين, trans-title=Assassination of a prominent security leader in Abyan, url=http://www.alyamanalaraby.com/279473, website=Al-Yaman Al-Arabi, access-date=3 October 2024, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143637/http://www.alyamanalaraby.com/279473, archive-date=12 June 2018, language=ar-ye, date=30 May 2018, url-status=unfit On June 14 AQAP fighters attacked Hizam headquarters in Al-Wadea. A car bomb exploded in a checkpoint outside the compound. After the surprise attack, the terrorists opened fire in the HQ compound. Hizam casualties were 3 killed and 8 wounded, including commander Mohammed Abdulla Samqa. On June 23 Hizam Maraqisha forces under commander Ali al-Misharj, had four wounded soldiers, after an AQAP bomb attack while searching for AQAP remnants. In the same region, a Hizam patrol was attacked by an AQAP IED. Nine soldiers were wounded, including the commander. On July 2 AQAP terrorists targeted Mafhad Hizam commander, Jamal Mohammed Ahmed Al-kazemi, with five IEDs. The commander survived the attempt, and his forces captured 2 AQAP fighters. One of them was AQAP commander Mohammed Lars. On August 2 AQAP attacked Hizam HQ in Mahfad, killing and injuring several soldiers. Several AQAP fighters were killed or injured. On August 3 the fighting had spread to other places in Mahfad. AQAP seriously injured Hizam commander Gamal Lemkah and killed his brother Saud Lemkah. 3 other soldiers were killed, and many others were injured. One AQAP fighter was also killed in the battle. Some sources claimed that Gamal Lemkah had been killed. On August 4 a civilian was killed by a tribal gunman in Mudiyah. On August 5 three Hizam soldiers were wounded by a car bomb in Mudiyah. On August 29 AQAP fighters raided a security checkpoint in Ahwar, killing 5 Hizam soldiers and wounding 7 others, before escaping. On August 9 a US drone strike killed Ali Shana, also known as Abu Sameh al-Zangbari, in Ahwar, during a gathering of AQAP fighters, alongside 3 other terrorists. Zangbari was a deputy to Abu Hamza al-Zinjibari, the former Emir of Abyan, and a senior commander within Abyani AQAP forces. He had been incorrectly reported killed in 2016. On August 16 Al-Sayed's forces launched an operation against AQAP commanders in Lauder, Al Ain, Mahfad and Mudiyah. During the operation, Al-Sayed and commander Abdulrahman Al-Shanini raided the homes of fugitive AQAP commanders in Al Ain, Ali Salem Mkeda, and the house of his brother, Mohammed Salem Mkeda. The terrorists escaped but weapons were captured. Hizam then raided the home of another AQAP commander in Lawdar, Nasser Abdullah al-Dabani, who also escaped. During their raid in Lawdar, another AQAP commander, Yasser al-Jahidi, tried to sneak from behind the Hizam forces, but was spotted and killed. In Mudiyah, the Hizam convoy fell into an ambush by AQAP and retreated. Hizam casualties were 2 killed and 3 wounded. East of Mudiyah, in Jinan, Hizam clashed with AQAP, resulting in one dead and one wounded. During the operations, 6 AQAP fighters were captured.{{cite web, url=https://al-ain.com/article/yemen-uae-forces-al-qaeda, title=قوات التدخل السريع باليمن تداهم أوكار القاعدة في أبين, date=16 September 2018 On August 19 Al-Sayed's forces captured an AQAP camp in Mudiyah. The AQAP fighters retreated to Shabwah, Bayda and other regions of Abyan. Hizam forces claimed that some AQAP fighters were killed. Later AQAP claimed that after a three-hour battle that killed 3 Hizam troops, the Hizam withdrew from Mudiyah.{{cite web, url=https://al-ain.com/article/1537371417, title=بإسناد إماراتي.. السيطرة على معسكر لتنظيم القاعدة في أبين جنوب اليمن, date=19 September 2018References
{{Reflist, refs= {{cite news , url = http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/air-raids-target-al-qaeda-yemen-wound-civilians-170303131953787.html , title = US air raids target al-Qaeda in Yemen, wound civilians , publisher =