South Yemen civil war

South Yemen civil war
Part of the Arab Cold War

Map of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) in red
Date13 – 24 January 1986
(1 week and 4 days)
Location
Result

al-Toghmah faction victory

Belligerents
South Yemen Abdul Fattah Ismail's faction, al-Toghmah South Yemen Ali Nasir Muhammad's faction, al-Zomrah
Commanders and leaders

Abdul Fattah Ismail (MIA)
Former President
South Yemen Ali Antar 
Vice President
South Yemen Saleh Muslih Qassem 
Defense Minister
South Yemen Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas
Prime Minister
Ali Salem al Beidh
YSP Politburo member

Dhale and Lahij
Mobilized tribal militias

Ali Nasir Muhammad
President

Shabwah and Abyan
Mobilized tribal militias
Casualties and losses
4,000 – 6,000 dead[1]
60,000 refugees

The South Yemen civil war, colloquially referred to in Yemen as the events of '86, the events of January 13, or simply as the events, was a failed coup d'etat and brief civil war which took place on January 13, 1986, in South Yemen. The civil war developed as a result of ideological differences, and later tribal tensions, between two factions of the ruling Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), centred on Abdul Fattah Ismail's faction, at-Toghmah, and Ali Nasir Muhammad's faction, az-Zomrah, for the leadership of the YSP and South Yemen. The conflict quickly escalated into a costly civil war that lasted eleven days and resulted in thousands of casualties. Additionally, the conflict resulted in the demise of much of the Yemeni Socialist Party's most experienced socialist leadership cadre, contributing to a much weaker government and the country's eventual unification with North Yemen in 1990.

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