Following months of large scale military operation against al-Qaeda militants in Abyan province, the Yemeni armed forces announced that they have been successful in removing the militants from the cities of Jaar and Zinjibar. Both cities were seized by al-Qaeda in June 2011 and were declared Islamic Caliphates in March 2012, after a breakdown in security gave militants the means and opportunities to resume their military campaign in Yemen. An official statement on June 19, 2012, from the Yemeni Defence Ministry said that its army has achieved “a major breakthrough” in their fight against the al Qaeda.1

• 1. “Yemen Announces Victory Against Al-Qaeda”, Yemen Observer, June 18, 2012, at http://www.yobserver.com/local-news/10022115.html