Civilian Casualties

السوط, Al Sout, Hadramaut, Yemen

LOCATION

A US airstrike targeted an AQAP training camp in western Hadramout governorate on April 11th 2018, according to a later US Central Command statement. There were multiple local reports at the time of airstrikes against AQAP in the mountainous Al Sout area of western Hadramout at dawn on that day, though most sources assigned responsibility

Summary

Saudi-led Coalition

جيليب, Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted an airstrike against Al-Shabaab militants near Jilib, Somalia, the afternoon of April 5”. It added: “We assess no civilians were killed in this airstrike.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike killed “three (3) terrorists” and destroyed “one (1) vehicle with a mounted heavy machine gun.” In a

Summary

Ceel Buur, Mudug, Somalia

LOCATION

Up to four civilians, including one child and one woman, were killed along with up to five al Shabaab fighters as a US airstrike struck El Burr, Galmudug, international media reported. Following a year of denials, US Africa Command admitted in April 2019 that civilians had in fact died in the event – and that

Summary

2 – 4

(1 child1 woman2 men)

2–5

العقلة, Al Uqlah, Al Bayda, Yemen

LOCATION

Four related civilians were reportedly killed, and at least one wounded, by a US drone strike against a vehicle in Al Mandhari village, in the Sama’a district of Bayda governorate, at around 2pm on March 29th 2018. According to Mwatana, the combatant status of the fifth man was unclear. A US Defense spokesperson initially stated

Summary

Civilians reported injured

(4 men)

1–2

5 named, 1 familiy identified

3–4

2–3

LOCATION

Al Rawda, Ma'rib, Yemen

At least five alleged AQAP militants were reportedly killed by a US drone strike that targeted a house in the Rawdah area, south of Marib city, early on March 22nd 2018. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. Yemeni tribal leaders told Associated Press that seven had been killed in the strike. Several

Summary

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), ISIS - Yemen

Suspected targets

5–7

مبارك, Mubaraak, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

AFRICOM publicly reported that two days earlier, it had “conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab on the morning of March 19 near Mubaarak, Somalia”. The press release made no mention of civilian harm. However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike killed “two terrorists”, wounded another “three terrorists” and destroyed “one vehicle”. Voice of America reported the following:

Summary

حصون آل جلال, Al Husn Al Jalal, Ma'rib, Yemen

LOCATION

At least one alleged AQAP militant was reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Al Husn Al Jalal, in the Wadi Obeida area of Marib governorate, on the evening of March 18th 2018. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. Several local-language sources, including Hadramout21 and Al-Mashhad Al-Araby, indicated that the strike

Summary

Suspected target

1–3

Vicinity of Jamecco and Singulle, Middle Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

A US airstrike killed 12 al Shabaab militants and wounded another 15 members as Jamecco, Middle Shabelle was struck, AFRICOM reported. The US carried had carried out ten strikes since the start of the year, a US Africa Command spokesperson confirmed to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) at the start of April, which had

Summary

الهدي, Al Hudhi, Hadramaut, Yemen

LOCATION

A US strike took place in Hadhramout governorate on March 13th 2018, a US Central Command spokesperson later told the Long War Journal. Two sources, @yemencurrent and @Dr_E_Kendall, reported at the time that a US drone strike had killed two alleged AQAP militants in Al Hudhi, in Hadhramout governorate, according to a pro-AQAP feed. The

Summary

Kamsuuma, Lower Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

AFRICOM said that it had carried out a strike on “al Shabaab fighters in the vicinity of Kamsuuma” on March 12th. It made no mention of civilian harm. The US had already carried out ten strikes since the start of the year, a US Africa Command spokesperson confirmed to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ)

Summary

على الحدود بين مديرية خب و الشعف و مديرية العبر, At the border between Khab wa Ash Sha'f the and the Al Abr district , Hadramaut, Yemen

LOCATION

Six civilians, including a teenage boy, were reportedly killed by a US drone strike while driving in the border region between Al-Jawf and Hadramout governorates, at around 3pm on March 8th 2018. The Yemeni Minister of Human Rights, Mohamed Askar, condemned the attack as “extrajudicial killings”. A US Central Command spokesperson later told the Long

Summary

(1 child5 men)

6 named, 1 familiy identified

الهدي, Al Hudhi, Hadramaut, Yemen

LOCATION

One civilian was reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Al Hudhi, Hadhramout, at around 5pm on March 7th 2018, “a member of his family and independent observers” told The Intercept. Saleh al-Wuhair was reportedly killed as he stood on a hill in the area, looking for a mobile phone signal. No other known

Summary

(1 man)

Al Abr District , Hadramaut, Yemen

LOCATION

News agency Xinhua reported that according to a local security official, a US drone strike had killed four alleged AQAP militants in Al Abr, in Hadhramout governorate, on March 6th 2018. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. A second source, Mosnad News, published on March 6th, also reported that a US strike

Summary

Suspected target

الرويك, 60km from Al Ruwayk IDP Camp, Hadramaut, Yemen

LOCATION

A child was reported killed, and his older cousin injured, by a likely US drone strike in Al Abr, in Hadramout governorate, at around 4pm on March 5th 2018. A US Central Command spokesperson later told the Long War Journal that a strike had taken place in Hadramout on that date. CENTCOM also told the

Summary

Civilians reported injured

(1 child)

2 named, 1 familiy identified

الخضارة, Al Khudaira, Hadramaut, Yemen

LOCATION

Two bodies of alleged AQAP militants, reportedly killed by a US drone strike, were found in or near Al-Abr district, in Hadramout governorate, at some time from March 4th to March 5th. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. Local sources told Elganob that two AQAP members had been killed by a US

Summary

مديرية العبر, Al Abr District, Hadramaut, Yemen

LOCATION

Up to four alleged AQAP militants, including a leadership figure, were reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Zamakh and Manakh, in the Al Abr district of Hadramout governorate, between the evening of March 4th-5th 2018. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. Late on March 5th, local language sources including @SkyNewsArabia_B

Summary

2–4

جيليب, Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab militants on Feb. 26, in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia”. It added: “We assess no civilians were killed in this strike.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike killed two terrorists and wounded two more. Shabelle Media Network had reported a strike carried out

Summary

مديرية الصومعة, Al Quraishyah, Al Bayda, Yemen

LOCATION

Four alleged belligerents were reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Al Quraishyah, in Bayda governorate, on February 24th 2018. Two sources suggested that three of those killed were AQAP militants, and one of which indicated that the fourth victim was a commander in the Hadi military. There were no known reports of civilian

Summary

LOCATION

البيضاء, Al Bayda, Yemen

A US strike against an unknown party took place in Bayda governorate on February 24th 2018, the second of two on that date, a US Central Command spokesperson later told the Long War Journal. There were reports that a strike took place in the Al Quraishyah District (مديريه القريشيه) of Bayda against four alleged belligerents

Summary

Bangeeni, Lower Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

Up to five people, including two reported civilians, were killed in a US military airstrike that hit in the vicinity of Jamaame, in Somalia’s Lower Juba region, international media reported. According to a US Africa Command press release, a US strike on al Shabaab killed four members of the group. VOA reporter Khadar Hared tweeted that

Summary

3–5

جيليب, Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

AFRICOM reported that two days previously it had “conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab militants on Feb. 19, in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia”. It added: “We assess no civilians were killed in this strike.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the attack had killed “three (3) terrorists.” Voice of America said that “Local residents in the region reported

Summary

ال حميقان, Al Humayqan, Al Bayda, Yemen

LOCATION

At least two alleged AQAP militants, including a leadership figure, were reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Al Zahir Al Humayqan, Bayda governorate, at around midnight, overnight from February 16th-17th 2018. A US Central Command spokesperson later told the the Long War Journal that a strike had taken place in Bayda governorate on

Summary

2–3

LOCATION

البيضاء, Al Bayda, Yemen

A US strike took place in Bayda governorate against an unspecified target on February 12th 2018, a US Central Command spokesperson later told the Long War Journal. One source at the time of the attack, Yemen Monitor, claimed: “American drones launched more than once raids targeting sites of the Popular Resistance in Al Bayda Governorate,

Summary

مديريه القريشيه, Al Quraishyah District, Al Bayda, Yemen

LOCATION

Six alleged AQAP militants were reportedly killed by a US drone strike in the Al-Atf area in the Qayfa region of Bayda governorate, on the evening of February 11th 2018, according to AFP. Several sources, however, instead suggested that the strike killed at least five pro-Hadi fighters, unaffiliated with AQAP. There were no known associated

Summary

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Other

Known targets

5–6

2–5

مديرية الصومعة, Al Suma'a District, Al Bayda, Yemen

LOCATION

At least one US drone strike reportedly killed at least two alleged AQAP militants in Sama’a district, in Bayda governorate, late on February 7th 2018. A US Central Command spokesperson later told the Long War Journal that a strike took place in Bayda on February 7th. Since there were no other known reported strike in

Summary

2–5

حرمك, Vicinity of Kunya Barrow, Middle Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

The US carried had so far carried out ten strikes since the start of the year, a US Africa Command spokesperson confirmed to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) at the start of April, which had recorded only six publicly reported strikes. The spokesperson provided details on the strikes BIJ had not recorded: “The first

Summary

القمعلة, Al Qam`alah, Al Bayda, Yemen

CENTCOM for December 1, 2017 – January 31, 2018

Original

Annotated

Report Date

January 31, 2018

Original Report

Web link

February 6, 2018

Release Number 20180201-01

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. forces conducted eight air strikes in Yemen in December 2017 and 10 air strikes in January targeting both Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS-Yemen.

One air strike resulted in the death of AQAP external operations facilitator Miqdad al Sana’ani Dec. 15, 2017, in al-Bayda governorate. Another strike killed Habib al-Sana’ani, AQAP deputy arms facilitator Dec. 19, 2017, in Marib governorate. Habib al-Sana’ani was an intermediary with ties to senior AQAP leadership and responsible for facilitating the movement of weapons, explosives and finances into Yemen.

U.S. forces continue sustained counterterrorism operations against AQAP and ISIS-Y in coordination with the government of Yemen to degrade these groups’ ability to hold territory and coordinate external attacks.

“Every strike advances the defeat of violent extremist organizations, and protects the United States and partner nations from attack at home and abroad,” said Lt. Col. Earl Brown, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson.

LOCATION

Two people, including a 14-year old boy, were reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Al Qam`alah, in the Dhi Naem area of Bayda governorate, on January 29th 2018. In a later email to the Long War Journal, a US Central Command spokesperson stated that a strike had targeted AQAP in Bayda on January

Summary

1 – 2

(1 child1 man)

2 named

1–2