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Shabwah campaign

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The Shabwah campaign (March–August 2015) was a campaign for control of the Shabwah Governorate of Yemen, between the Houthis and Yemen Army units loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh on one side, and militiamen and Yemen Army units loyal to Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi on the other side. The offensive was also launched during a previously started AQAP offensive.

Shabwah campaign (March–August 2015)
Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) and the Shabwah Governorate offensive (2014-2016)

Shabwah Governorate
Date29 March – 15 August 2015
(4 months, 2 weeks and 3 days)
Location
Shabwah Governorate, Yemen
Result

Coalition victory

  • Houthis initially capture the provincial capital Ataq and Saeed by May 2015
  • Pro-Hadi forces recapture Ataq and the rest of the governorate on 15 August 2015
Belligerents

Yemen Supreme Revolutionary Committee[1]

Yemen Cabinet of Yemen

Supported by

AQAP[6]
Casualties and losses
1700 killed 43 killed

The campaign

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On 29 March 2015, fighting centered in the oil-rich Usaylan region. 38 fighters were killed in clashes between the Houthis and Sunni tribesmen. Tribal sources confirmed the death toll, and claimed only eight of them were from their side, with the other 30 either Houthis or their allies from the Yemeni military. The tribesmen were also reinforced by weapons received via 200 vehicles from tribes in the nearby province of Abyan.[7] After the fighting, Houthi positions were hit by Coalition air-strikes.[8]

On 1 April, fighting at a major army base left 35 Houthi and allied army fighters, along with 20 tribesmen, dead.[9]

On 6 April, the Houthis were reported to be negotiating with local tribes for safe transit to Ataq, the provincial capital.[10] However, additional fighting on the same day killed two Houthi fighters, while another eight were killed in an airstrike.[11] Two days later, 10 Houthis, three Houthi-allied soldiers and three tribesmen were killed in further clashes.[12][13]

On 9 April, air-strikes hit the Houthi-held Muhra base, outside Ataq, after which the Houthis and their allies seized government and police installations in the city. Soon, hundreds of armed tribesmen mobilised on the outskirts of Ataq to attack the Houthis.[14] Still, the Houthi capture of the provincial capital was reportedly facilitated by local tribal chiefs and security officials.[15]

On 10 April, 25 Houthi fighters were killed in a suicide car-bomb attack, carried out by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), on their security post in the Bayhan region.[6] As is the case in the neighboring Abyan Governorate,[16] it was reported that AQAP fighters were ordered to fight alongside pro-Hadi forces against the Houthis.[6]

On 13 April, pro-Hadi tribal militia took control of two military bases belonging to units that were guarding oil facilities in the Belhaf area.[17][18] 15 soldiers stationed at one base were killed.[19]

On 19 April, seven Houthis were killed in clashes in the province.[20]

On 25 May, 17 Houthi and 11 tribal fighters were killed in fighting in Ataq.[21]

At the end of May, the Houthis captured the city of Saeed, after a number of tribes in the area switched allegiance.[22]

On 11 August, after the Pro-Hadi forces recaptured the governorates of Aden, Lahij, Dhale and Abyan they will launch an offensive to retake Shabwah Governorate, the last Southern governorate with a Houthi rebel presence.[23]

On 15 August, Pro-Hadi forces regained control of the entire Shabwah Governorate, including the city of Ataq, after Houthi forces and their allies withdrew from the region.[24]

Shabwah Governorate Offensive (December 2017)

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On 15 December 2017, the Yemen National Army from the 19th Infantry, 21st Mika, and 26th Infantry Brigades along with the Southern Resistance launched an offensive to take control of several sites in Bayhan and Usaylan, the last Houthis stronghold in Shabwa Governorate.[25]

On 24 December 2017, the Yemen National Army completely captured Bayhan and Usaylan district.[26]

Aftermath

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On October 17, 2021 Houthi forces captured the Usaylan, Bayhan, and Ain districts of Shabwah Governorate during the Battle of Marib.[27]

On January 26, 2022, Hadi government forces including the Giants Brigades recaptured the districts from Houthi rebel forces.[28][29] In one 24-hour period at the start of the offensive, more than 125 Houthis and 70 pro-Hadi fighters were killed in the fighting.[30]

On August 10, 2022, the Governor of Shabwah was reported to have announced the start of an operation to restore stability.[31]

References

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  1. ^ Orkaby, Asher (25 March 2015). "Houthi Who?". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Saudi Arabia Begins Air Assault in Yemen". The New York Times. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  3. ^ Felicia Schwartz, Hakim Almasmari and Asa Fitch (26 March 2015). "Saudi Arabia Launches Military Operations in Yemen". WSJ. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Pakistan ready for ground offensive in Yemen: report". the globe and mail. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Saudi Arabia launches airstrikes in Yemen". CNN. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "25 killed as booby-trapped car hits security post in Yemen". Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  7. ^ "38 dead as Yemen tribes, rebels clash near oil region". AFP. 29 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  8. ^ "50 Houthis killed in clashes with Shabwa tribes". 29 March 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  9. ^ Mukhashaf, Mohammed (April 2015). "Yemen Houthi fighters backed by tanks reach central Aden". Reuters. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  10. ^ "Fierce fighting as rebels move on holdouts in Yemen's Aden". Houston Chronicle. 6 April 2015. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  11. ^ "Yemen clashes kill more than 100 as aid delayed". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  12. ^ "Red Cross says situation 'catastrophic' in Yemen's Aden". The Express Tribune. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  13. ^ Erol Ersoy. "Yemen tribesmen kill 3 pro-Houthi troops in Shabwah". Breaking News Updates. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  14. ^ "Coalition air strikes 'hit Yemen defence ministry'". AFP. Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Yemen's Houthis Seize Provincial Capital Despite Saudi-Led Airstrikes". The Huffington Post. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  16. ^ "Fighting in Abyan governorate continues as anti-Houthi forces advance". Yemen Times. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  17. ^ "Army troops hit by bomb in southern Yemen, 15 killed". GlobalPost. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  18. ^ "Gulf Daily News » World News » Yemen unrest driven by Iran's hunger for power". Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  19. ^ "UN demands probes into Yemen civilian casualties". Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  20. ^ Yemen rebel leader vows resistance against Saudi-led air war
  21. ^ Heavy exchange of fire destroys Saudi-Yemen border crossing
  22. ^ Yemeni rebels take control of southern city
  23. ^ "South Yemen clashes wound senior officials". Al Arabiya. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  24. ^ القوات الشرعية تسيطر على مركز محافظة شبوة
  25. ^ @demolinari (15 December 2017). "19th Infantry, 21st Mika, and 26th Infantry Brigades along with Southern Resistance controlled several sites in…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  26. ^ "Yemeni army captures 80 Houthis within two days in Shabwa". 17 December 2017.
  27. ^ "Yemen's Houthis advance in Shabwa and Marib". Reuters. 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  28. ^ "Yemeni troops recapture district in Shabwa from Houthis". Arab News. 2022-01-02. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  29. ^ "Yemen's southern forces say they have liberated oil-rich Shabwa province from Houthis". The National. 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
  30. ^ Sources: Nearly 200 Dead as Fighting Surges Near Yemen's Marib
  31. ^ Senior source to "South24": The governor of Shabwa officially announced the start of a military operation to establish security
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