Al Kawd Explained

Al Kawd
Settlement Type:Town
Pushpin Map:Yemen
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Yemen
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Yemen
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:Abyan
Unit Pref:Imperial
Timezone:Yemen Standard Time
Utc Offset:+3
Coordinates:13.0886°N 45.3647°W

Al Kawd is a town in southwestern Yemen, near Zinjibar. It is located in Abyan Governorate and lies on the Gulf of Aden, approximately 40 kilometres by road east of Aden. The Wadi Bana, a major river, flows into the sea to the east of the town.

History

On May 19-20, 1994, during the 1994 civil war in Yemen, rebel planes dropped two bombs near the cemetery in al-Kawd, killing four boys.

On November 15, fighters loyal to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula took over the town, a key part of the Battle of Zinjibar.[1] Yemeni troops recaptured the town on August 14, 2016.[2]

In 2019, the Security Belt Forces, a paramilitary aligned with the secessionist Southern Transitional Council, dislodged an estimated 350 pro-government forces from a military camp in Al Kawd, leading to four deaths.[3] As of 2023, the Southern Transitional Council controls much of Abyan Governorate, including Al Kawd.

External links

13.0886°N 45.3647°W

Notes and References

  1. (Xinhua) "Yemen's al-Qaida seizes Al-Koud town off Gulf of Aden: official"
  2. (Gulf News) Al Qaida pushed out of major strongholds in Yemen’s Abyan
  3. News: Yemen separatists drive out govt troops from two camps in south . 26 May 2023 . Qatar Tribune . AFP . 21 August 2019.