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) |
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.
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.
