Fall of Zinjibar and Jaar

Fall of Zinjibar and Jaar
Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)

Members of AQAP in a checkpoint in Jaar April 28, 2012
Date2–3 December 2015 (1 day)
LocationZinjibar and Jaʿār, Abyan Governorate, Yemen
Result

AQAP victory

  • Al-Qaeda decleres "Emirate of Jaar" and "Emirate of Zinjibar"
Belligerents

Al-Qaeda Emirate in Yemen

Yemen Yemen Army (Hadi government)

Commanders and leaders
Abu Hamza al Zinjibari Yemen Abd-al-Latif al-Sayyid †
Yemen Abdullatif al-Sayed(Fugitive)
Yemen Al-Khader Haidan[1]
Yemen Ali al-Sayed  †
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
5+ killed 22+ killed

The Fall of Zinjibar and Jaar, reference on the capture of the two towns during the Yemeni civil war, by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, in early December 2015.

The Battle and aftermath

From the early October AQAP fighter have taken some parts of Zinjibar, by expelling government fighters and establishing Sharia courts.[2] It was reported that al-Qaeda's fighters stormed the two towns during the dawn of 1 December 2015, using their stronghold of neighborhoods in Zinjibar which they had captured in October. The towns were captured immediately without lots of fighting, despite local reinforcements from commanders and troops loyal to Yemen's government.[3] In 2 December, AQAP quite Jaar after a raid that left more than 15 Hadi loyalists and the Hadi loyal commander Ali al-Sayed dead but apparently returned the next morning.[4][5] After the complete fall of the two cities, al-Qaeda declared Emirates in the two towns providing civilian services, and establishing a Sharia court. The AQAP offensive was led by Abu Hamza al-Zinjibari, a well known commander of AQAP in Zinjibar, who has ruled the Abyan Governorate territory held by AQAP since the 2011 declaration of their Emirate. It is reported that AQAP plowed up the house of the local commander loyal to president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi who fought against AQAP and killed him in the fighting along with at least 6 other fighters of him in the beginning of the battle. Its reported that also at least 5 fighter of AQAP were killed in the battle.[6] Some months later, in 27 of March, 2016, three suspected US drone strikes hit AQAP positions inside their government buildings onside Zinjibar, killing some 14 AQAP soldiers, according to the medics.[7] Three days after the take over, AQAP issued a bounty on the escaped head of Popular committees, Abdullatif al-Sayed, because he killed an AQAP fighter by stealth stab him in his back. The bounty was 7 million Yemeni riyals ($32,500).[4]

Media

Officials inside Abyan told the press that they don't believe that the government will send reinforcements from Aden to assist the Abyan fighters loyal to the government because they are busy with other areas of the country, telling their fear that, unfortunately, AQAP would to take all of the Abyan in the coming months.[1][8]

References

  1. 1 2 Mohammed Mukhashaf (2 December 2015). "Al Qaeda militants take over two south Yemen towns, residents say". Reuters. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  2. ↑ http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemens-al-qaeda-branch-now-control-several-aden-neighbourhoods-1633114488
  3. ↑ "AQAP, Houthis, Saudis: Yemen′s multifaction civil war - World - DW.COM - 08.12.2015". DW.COM. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  4. 1 2 http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/qaeda-offers-bounty-head-yemen-pro-government-force-1713768314
  5. ↑ http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/12/03/ISIS-militants-kill-two-Yemen-tribesmen.html
  6. ↑ "Al-Qaeda seizes key Yemeni towns from pro-Hadi forces". Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  7. ↑ http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-drones-idUSKCN0WT090
  8. ↑ "Al Qaeda seizes town, provincial capital in southern Yemen". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
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