On 4 March, militants launched an attack against an Army artillery battalion on the outskirts of Zinjibar, in the small town of Dofas, overrunning it and killing 187 soldiers and wounding 135.

[2][3][4][6][10][11][12] The Ansar al-Sharia group that took responsibility for the attack is believed to be just a re-branding of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to make it more appealing to the devout rural population.

Three days after the attack, the group let a Red Cross team into Jaʿār to treat 12 wounded soldiers and demanded a prisoner exchange with the government.

On 31 March, a large group of militants attacked an Army checkpoint in Lahij Governorate during the night, sparking a battle that left 20 soldiers and 4 insurgents dead.

[14] Another similar attack took place on 9 April, when a base near Lowdar was briefly overrun during a battle where locals had to join the military to help drive the militants out.