Abyan Governorate
Governorate of Yemen / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abyan (Arabic: أَبْيَنْ ʾAbyan) is a governorate of Yemen. The Abyan region was historically part of the Fadhli Sultanate.[2] It was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army militant group.[2] Its capital is the city of Zinjibar. This governorate is noted for its agriculture, in particular the cultivation of date palms and animal husbandry.
Abyan
أَبْيَنْ | |
---|---|
Governorate | |
Country | Yemen |
Region | Aden Region |
Seat | Zinjibar |
Area | |
• Total | 21,939 km2 (8,471 sq mi) |
Population (2012)[1] | |
• Total | 513,701 |
• Density | 23/km2 (61/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+3 (Arabia Standard Time) |
On 31 March 2011, Al Bawaba reported that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) had declared Abyan an "Al-Qaeda Emirate in Yemen" after seizing control of the region.[3] The New York Times reported that those in control, while Islamic militants, are not in fact Al-Qaeda.[4] This takeover was confirmed on May 28.[5] Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region, resulting in the Battle of Zinjibar.
In addition to Zinjibar, the towns of Jaʿār and Shuqrah were firmly under the control of the Islamists.[6] In early May 2012 the Yemeni Army and Southern Resistance began a major offensive to wrest control of the province from militants. Government forces captured Zinjibar and Jaar on 12 June after a month of heavy fighting. Militants reportedly retreated towards the town of Shuqrah.[7] In 2017, a military campaign led by Southern security forces and Southern resistance freed Abyan from the Islamist militants who escaped to their mountains in the Al Bayda and Marib Governorates.