Abyan Governorate (Muḩāfaz̧at Abyan)
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. The New York Times reported that those in control, while Islamic militants, are not in fact Al-Qaeda. This takeover was confirmed on May 28. 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. 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. In 2017, a military campaign led by Southern security forces and Southern resistance could free Abyan from the Islamist militants who escaped to their mountains in the Al Bayda and Marib Governorates.
Map - Abyan Governorate (Muḩāfaz̧at Abyan)
Map
Country - Yemen
Flag of Yemen |
It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and shares maritime borders with Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. Yemen is the second-largest Arab sovereign state in the Arabian Peninsula, occupying 555,000 km2, with a coastline stretching about 2000 km. Its constitutionally stated capital, and largest city, is Sanaa. As of 2023, Yemen has an estimated population of 34.2 million.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
YER | Yemeni rial | ï·¼ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
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AR | Arabic language |