Salem Ali Qatan
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Salem Ali Qatan | |
|---|---|
| Native name | سالم علي قطن |
| Born | 1952 Yashbam, Upper Aulaqi Sheikhdom |
| Died | 18 June 2012 (aged 59–60) Aden, Yemen |
| Cause of death | Suicide bombing |
| Allegiance |  Yemen |
| Branch |  Yemeni Land Forces |
| Years of service | 1970–2012 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | 31st Armoured Brigade |
| Commands | Southern Military Region |
| Battles / wars | |
Major General Salem Ali Qatan (Arabic: سالم علي قطن; 1952 – 18 June 2012) was a Yemeni military officer and member of the Al-Awaliq tribe.[1] He was born in Yashbem in .[1] He was married, and joined the military in 1970.[1] As the chief military commander in south Yemen, Qatan had led a month-long offensive against terrorist organization al-Qaeda, leading to its withdrawal from several towns and villages in the Abyan and Shabwa provinces of Yemen which it had controlled since 2011. Ali Qatan was appointed in March 2012, succeeding Major General Mahdi Maqouleh[2] just days after the newly elected President of Yemen, Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi took office and pledged to destroy al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula once and for all.
Southern region commander
Qatan was born in Yashbam, a village in As Said district of Shabwah Governorate then part of the Upper Aulaqi Sheikhdom, in 1952. He received primary education in his home town before joining the military of South Yemen in 1970. Holding a degree in joint forces command, he quickly rose through the ranks of the South Yemen army, being appointed the commander of an infantry platoon at a Yemeni Military College before eventually being named the deputy commander for a Yemeni peacekeeping unit sent to Lebanon in 1977 as part of the Arab Deterrent Force. From thereon, he occupied several positions throughout the military of unified Yemen, such as commanding of the 115th Infantry Brigade, the Central Military Region, and an army axis, before being appointed the deputy chief of staff for human resources from 2002 to 2012.[3][4]
On 20 April 2012, Qatan suspended a military officer who was suspected to have smuggled 410 artillery shells from the military region's armory to Ansar al-Sharia.[5]