Aden-Abyan Islamic Army | |
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جيش عدن أبين الإسلامي | |
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Leaders | Zein al-Abideen al-Mehdar †[1] |
Dates of operation | 1990s–present |
Headquarters | Abyan, Yemen |
Active regions | Southern Yemen |
Ideology | Salafist jihadism Islamic fundamentalism |
Part of | ![]() |
Allies | ![]() ![]() |
Opponents | ![]() |
Battles and wars | Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen |
The Aden-Abyan Islamic Army (AAIA, Arabic: جيش عدن أبين الإسلامي) is an Islamist militant group based in southern Yemen, led by Zein al-Abideen al-Mehdar (also known as Abu El-Hassan El-Mohader).[2] The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by Bahrain,[3] Canada and the United Kingdom.[4] The group is thought to have organized in southern Yemen in the mid 1990s, with members that include veterans from the Soviet war in Afghanistan.[5] Their stated mission is to "promote jihad in the fight against secularism in Yemen and other Arab States; to establish an Islamic government in Yemen".[6]