The Shabwani Elite ( ar, النخبة الشبوانية; ''An-Nukhba al-Shabwaniyya'') are a military unit operating in the

Shabwah Governorate Shabwah ( ar, شَبْوَة, Šabwa) is a Governorates of Yemen, governorate (province) of Yemen. Its main town is Ataq. During the Yemeni Civil War (2015–present), Yemeni Civil War in 2015, the province became a battleground. The battle, kno ...

of Yemen, mainly against

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� ...

(AQAP). The unit consisted of at least 6,000 troops and controlled the majority of the province as of early November 2017, according to its commander Mohamed Salem al-Qumishi. Armed and trained by the United Arab Emirates, the Shabwani Elite began a large operation against AQAP on August 2, 2017, with the backing of Emirati and American forces, capturing the city of

Ataq Ataq ( ar, عتق), alternately spelled Attaq, is a small city and the capital of Shabwah Governorate in Yemen. Ataq is 458 km south east of Sanaa. The difference in elevation of the city is about 70 m with generally partially flat topography ...

in the process.

References

{{reflist, 2 Organizations of the Yemeni Crisis (2011–present) Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) Paramilitary organizations based in Yemen Shabwah Governorate