Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

USYEMTr117

Incident date

November 19, 2017

Location

يكلا‎, Yakla, Al Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.598056, 45.060000 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US strike in Bayda governorate killed two AQAP militants on November 19th 2017, a US Central Command spokesperson told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. This confirmed local reports that a US drone strike had killed at least three alleged AQAP militants in Yakla, in the Wald Rabi area of Bayda governorate, on that evening. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Multiple local-language sources, including Adengad and @tarebhtoday, reported that, according to locals, the strike targeted an area “near an ISIS camp” in the area, though none suggested that ISIS members had been killed. Others, such as Hour News, suggested that the area was itself home to an AQAP “site”. Both terror organisations had previously been targeted in the area.

While most suggested that three were killed in the strike, @7adramout_net reported that four “from Al Qaeda” had died. Another Twitter source, @demolinari, named one of those killed as Abdullah Hassan Abdullah Nuba Al-Ateeqi.

The incident occured in the evening.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention training camps being struck in the vicinity of Yakla (يكلا‎) village, within the Wald Rabi district (بمديرية ولد ربيع). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Yakla are: 14.598056, 45.060000.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–4

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • According to @demolinari, one of the alleged AQAP militants killed in the strike was named Abdullah Hassan Abdullah Nuba Al-Ateeqi (November 20th 2017)

US Forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US Forces

Jess,

This is the most current CENTCOM information on strikes against AQAP and ISIS in Yemen.

· One strike against ISIS in al-Bayda Governorate, Yemen, Nov. 26. killing three terrorists.
· One strike against AQAP in Shabwah Governorate, Yemen, Nov. 25 killing seven terrorists.
· One strike against ISIS in al-Bayda Governorate, Yemen, Nov. 23, killing two terrorists.
· Two strikes against AQAP in al-Bayda Governorate, Yemen, Nov. 19-20. The strikes killed two AQAP terrorists Nov. 19 and five terrorists on Nov 20.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

MAJ Brown
CENTCOM Media Operations

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–4

Sources (13) [ collapse]