Al Bayda (Arabic: ٱلْبَيْضَاء, romanized: Al-Bayḍāʾ, not to be confused with Al-Bayda' in Al-Jawf, the ancient Nashaq), also transliterated as Baida,[2] Al-Baidhah or Beida, is a town in the Governorate of Al-Bayda in Yemen.
It is located 130 miles (210 kilometres) SE of Sana'a. Rada' (Arabic: رَدَاع, romanized: Radāʿ) is the present capital of the Governorate of Al Bayda.
It is the historical capital of the Beda Sultanate from 1636 until 1930.
On 8 October 2014, at least nine people were killed in an attack by Al-Qaeda militants on security and government buildings in the town, officials say. The official Saba News Agency said car bombs were used in the dawn assault, which was repelled.[3]
In July 2021, al-Bayda was the site of intense fighting between Yemeni government-backed forces (aided by their ally Saudi Arabia) on the one hand and Houthi fighters on the other.[4]
According to the 2011 Yemeni census, its population is 29,853.[1]
The US special forces mounted the raid in the Yakla region of Baida province against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which Washington views as the global terror network's most dangerous branch.
13°43′N 44°44′E / 13.717°N 44.733°E / 13.717; 44.733