(Previous Incident Codes: YEM146 USYEM169 )

On the evening of the 31st of December 2013 in the Al-Mahfad district in the Abyan province, up to six Al Qaeda militants were killed and three others injured by an alleged US drone strike. There are no reports of civilian harm.

According to the Yemeni Interior Ministry, two militants were killed and three were injured. The Interior Ministry also added that the strike “targeted Al Qaeda-owned cars in the Sahara area of Al-Mahfad district” and that those injured were transported to a hospital in Azan which is located in the neighbouring governorate of Shabwa. However, the estimation provided by the interior ministry is disputed by local sources. Shakir Al-Ghadir, a spokesperson for the Brigade 111 which is stationed locally, stated to the Yemen Times that six had died when two cars were hit. He stated that one of the cars was “completely charred”. Furthermore, he identified one of the victims as Abu Yousif Al-Sana’ani who is a leader of AQAP in the Abyan province. He was unable to identify any of the other victims.

Yemen Press reported that the drone strike was conducted by the US and other local sources also quoting the Ministry of Interior attributed the strike to the US.