(Previous Incident Codes: YEM145 USYEM168 )

On the 27th of December 2013, an alleged US drone strike hit and killed up to seven suspected AQAP militants and injured another in the southern city of Shiban in the province of Hadramout.

Initial reports from the strike are conflicted on the number of wounded or dead. The Montreal Gazette provided the lowest estimate quoting one security official who stated that one militant had been killed and that another had been injured. Multiple Twitter sources on the other hand, such as @narrabyee and @Watcherone, gave the highest estimate which suggests that as many as seven died. Most other news sources provided an estimate in between these two. Xinhua reported that a governmental official stated that four militants had been killed. No civilian harm was reported. The identities of those who died in the strike have not been clarified. Xinhua News reported, however, that the militants were high ranking.

Multiple sources report that the strike was conducted by the US. Nahar Net quoted an official who said that the strike was carried out by the US and that it killed two. The Montreal Gazette confirms that the strike was conducted by the US. However, the US tends not to comment on its drone strikes. The strike is believed to have taken place at 17.15 pm local time. Security officials told Gulf News that “The strike occurred at 5.15pm near an oil station”.

The circumstances around the strike are also somewhat unclear. Concerning the location of the strike, it is unclear exactly where the strike took place. According to local sources reporting to Alayam, the strike took place on the road between Shibam and Badon. Multiple other sources, such as Sahafah Net, confirm that the strike took place close to Shibam. According to security officials reporting to Gulf News, “The airstrike burnt the bodies of the two men who were carried to Shibam hospital”. However, Gulf News also reported that the strike took place on the road between Seiyun and Shibam. Whether this is the same road that the sources seem to be referring to is unclear.

Xinhua News quoted a government official who told them that: “The US drone hit a small car immediately after it left an Al Qaeda-held house near the historical city of Shibam.”. Other news sources, such as Sahafah Net, confirm that one car was hit. A local sources told Brach Net that the car in question was a Hilux Double Cab model. In addition, Nahar Net reported that a government official had stated that “The drone raid targeted a vehicle in which two Al Qaeda suspects were travelling completely destroying it and killing them. However, some Twitter sources, such as @SUHFNET and @Yemenanticoup, claim instead that two cars were hit not only one. According to local residents reporting to Xinhua, two missiles were fired after the drone chased down the militants.