Country Yemen District Khanfir District Population 29,495 (2004) | Governorate Abyan Governorate Local time Friday 1:29 PM | |
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Time zone Yemen Standard Time (UTC+3) | ||
Jaar (Arabic: جعار Jaʿār) is a small town and capital of Khanfir District in south-western Yemen. One of the largest settlements in the Abyan Governorate, it is located in the south of the Abyan Governorate to the north of Al Kawd and the regional capital of Zinjibar. The town is located about 2 kilometres east of the right bank of the Wadi Bana.
Map of Ja'ar, Yemen
Khanfar is a southern suburb of the town, noted for its ceramics and munitions production, and on March 28, 2011, an explosion occurred.
The town was controlled by Ansar al-Sharia, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, from March 2011 to June 2012. However, on 12 June 2012, the Yemeni Army retook control of Ja'ar along with Zinjibar On 2 December 2015, Ansar al-Sharia captured Ja'ar from Hadi government forces. Zinjibar was also captured the same day.
In early May 2016, AQAP fighters withdrew from the city of Zinjibar and Jaar after negotiation with Hadi loyalists. Since then, it has repeatedly withdrawn and returned. On 14 August, the cities were fully captured by pro-government forces who dislodged the militants from them.