Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

USYEMTr179

Incident date

September 9, 2018

Location

وادي المرون, Wadi Al Maroun, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.438644632, 46.171223584 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four alleged AQAP militants, including a leadership figure, were reportedly killed by a US drone strike against a car in Wadi Al Maroun, in the Khabr, Al Maraqisha area of Abyan governorate, on the morning of September 9th 2018.

A US strike against AQAP in Abyan on that date was confirmed in a later US Central Command press release. Given that there were no other known reported US strikes on that day, this event is treated as declared.  There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Multiple local-language news outlets, including Al-Aan, Mareb Press, and Al-Yemeny, indicated that AQAP leader Ali Shanna, also named as Sameh Al-Marmi and Sameh Al-Zanjibari, was killed in the strike. Ali Shanna was reported by these sources and others to have been a close associate of Jalal Baleedi, a top AQAP commander in Yemen before he was killed by a US drone strike in 2016.

Sources including Associated Press, The National, and academic Dr Elisabeth Kendall (@Dr_E_Kendall), further indicated that three other unidentified militants were killed in the strike alongside Ali Shanna.

The incident occured in the morning.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in Wadi Al Maroun (وادي المرون), allegedly in the vicinity of Al Khabr (الخبر) town, south of the Jabal Al Maraqisha (جبل المراقشة). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Al Khabr are: 13.438644632, 46.171223584.

  • Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in Wadi Al Maroun (وادي المرون), allegedly in the vicinity of Al Khabr (الخبر) town, south of the Jabal Al Maraqisha (جبل المراقشة).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

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
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    4

Sources (58) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Central Command conducted two counterterrorism air strikes targeting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen in September, bringing the total number of air strikes to 36. In October, there were zero air strikes.

September strikes include Sept. 9 in Abyan and Sept. 18 in Al-Bayda governorates.

"Despite a decline in counterterrorism air strikes against AQAP, they continue to pose a significant threat," said Lt. Col. Earl Brown, a USCENTCOM spokesman. "We remain vigilant and will continue to work by, with and through our regional partners to disrupt, deter and destroy AQAP."

-30-

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
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Discounted
    Those killed were combatants, or other parties most likely responsible.
  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    4

Sources (58) [ collapse]