Asallamu alakium dear shiekh is the following hadeeth authentic this is the wording of the hadeeth“Out of Aden-Abyan will come 12,000, giving victory to the (religion of) Allah and His Messenger. They are the best between me and them.” (HR. Ahmad: 2918, 2079 and Ath-Thabrani in Al-Kabir: 11029 (11/56).I seen this hadeeth being widely shared on Islamic forums and social media please shed some light on this jazakallahu khyran

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

Imaam Ahmad presented this Hadeeth as follows: ‘ʻ‘Abd Ar-Razzaaq related to us that Al-Munthir ibn An-Nuʻmaan Al-Aftas said: I heard Wahb relate that Ibn ʻAbbaas said that the Prophet said: "An army of twelve-thousand men will come out of Aden-Abyan. They will aid Allaah and His Messenger; they are the best between myself and them." One of the transmitters (ʻAbd Ar-Razzaaq) said, "Maʻmar said to me: 'Go and ask him about this Hadeeth.'"” 

Ibn Qudaamah cited it in his Al-Muntakhab min ʻIlal Al-Khallaal with a chain from the route of Imaam Ahmad and he attributed the following statement to Ahmad: “Al-Munthir ibn An-Nu‘maan is a trustworthy reporter from Sanʻaa’. This is the only Hadeeth he attributed to the Prophet with a continuous chain.”

This serves as a declaration of the trustworthiness of Al-Munthir. The rest of the narrators in the chain are also trustworthy and were accepted by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Haythami said, “Abu Yaʻla and At-Tabaraani narrated it … The reporters in the chain of narration were accepted by Al-Bukhari and Muslim except for Munthir Al-Aftas, who is however a trustworthy narrator.” [Majmaʻ Az-Zawaa’id]

Al-Booseeri said, “Abu Yaʻla Al-Mawsili and Ahmad ibn Hanbal presented it with a chain of narration consisting of trustworthy reporters.” [It-haaf Al-Khiyarati Al-Maharah]

Ahmad Shaakir said, “Its chain of narration is authentic. Al-Munthir ibn An-Nuʻmaan Al-Aftas the Yemeni was declared a trustworthy reporter by Ibn Ma‘een. Ibn Hibbaan also listed him among the trustworthy narrators, and Al-Bukhari included his biography in his book (At-Taareekh) Al-Kabeer. The fact that Maʻmar asked ʻAbd Ar-Razzaaq to go and listen to the Hadeeth from him confirms his trustworthiness.” [Musnad, edited by Shaakir]

Al-Albaani declared it Saheeh (sound) in his book As-Silsilah As-Saheehah.

Allaah Knows best.