US Forces in Yemen

US Forces in Yemen

Mabkhout Ali al Ameri with his 18-month old son Mohammed, shortly after a botched US raid on al Ghayil in January 2017 had killed at least 20 villagers, including Mohammed's mother Fatim Saleh Mohsen. © Iona Craig

Belligerent
US Forces
Country
Yemen
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Incident Code

USYEM048-B

Incident date

March 10, 2012

Location

جعار, Ja'ar, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.223161, 45.305486 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Alleged US airstrikes or Yemeni airstrikes in Jaar and Zinjibar on May 10, 2012 reportedly killed up to 24 alleged militants and nine others were injured, with some sources reporting possible civilian casualties. Although initially reported as the work of the Yemen Air Force, a senior Yemen government official told CNN that the attacks were carried out by the US, part of a three-day offensive.

On March 10th 2012, Aden Al-Ghad reported that a correspondent said that the strike hit the neighborhoods surrounding the Almaz Cotton Company. The source reported that the company’s property was being used by “armed groups” to hold “dozens of army soldiers” as prisoners.

The Long War Journal reported that the strike killed 20 in AQAP “hideouts.” According to Reuters, local residents in Jaar reported that the Yemeni air force carried out the strike, and that 20 Al Qaeda fighters were killed. The source reported that the strike impacted a military base previously seized by Al Qaeda from government forces. Al-Bayan reported that 20 were killed in the strikes, with “others wounded.” Local sources alleged that the strike was aimed at military vehicles captured by Al Qaeda. Yahoo News reported that a Yemeni military official said that nine militants were wounded in the strike.

On March 11th 2012 at 10:31am local time, journalist @ionacraig tweeted that a 13 year-old boy was killed in a “recent US drone strike” although it is unclear which strike this is referencing. According to Presstv and National Turk, “local residents rejected the government’s allegations and said that the victims were civilians.” However, this report was referencing three strikes from March 9-11, and did not specify which strike the residents’ claims referred to.

A tweet from @Shuaibalmosawa reported that according to AQAP sources in Abyan the airstrikes in Ja’ar did not hit anybody and instead struck nearby agricultural land.

On March 12th 2012, CNN reported that initially, Yemeni officials declared that the Yemeni air force was behind the strike. However, CNN also reported that a Yemeni official alleged that, since it occurred late in the day, the strike must have been the work of American drones. He claimed that Yemeni forces do not have the capability or training to enact strikes at that time of day.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    20–24
  • Belligerents reported injured
    9

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Ja’ar (جعار) in the Abyan (أبين‎) governorate, for which the generic coordinates are: 13.223161, 45.305486. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Yemeni Air Force Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Yemeni Air Force
  • Yemeni Air Force position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    20–24
  • Belligerents reported injured
    9

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM086-C

Incident date

May 17, 2012

Location

شقرة, Shaqra, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.356639, 45.699426 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On May 17th 2012, at an Al Qaeda checkpoint in the town of Shaqra in the Abyan Province, a suspected US drone-fired missile or Yemeni air strike hit two cars killing between three and eight alleged Al Qaeda militants and up to two civilians, in addition to wounding others, according to local officials and residents, however the US has not confirmed the strike.

There have been conflicting accounts of the incident in reporting including the deathtoll, their civilian or belligerent status and whether the strike was conducted at a checkpoint or a vehicle traveling through the town. Reuters reported that three militants and two civilians were killed in a Yemeni airstrike, according to local residents and officials. However, AP claimed that six militants were killed when a strike hit a vehicle in the town. AFP, in contrast, reported that six militants were killed in a strike on a checkpoint in Shaqra which News 24 confirmed. CBS News corroborated the figure but provided no details on where or how the strike in Shaqra occured. Security officials told CNN that eight militants traveling in a convoy were killed in a drone strike, which was followed by a series of airstrikes by the Yemeni Air Force. A Facebook post from Yemen News Network from Aden mentions “wounded” from the airstrike but does not specify how many.

It remains unclear who was behind the incident, with residents and local officials reporting both airstrikes and artillery shelling and blaming both US military and Yemeni military forces.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–8
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–2

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Shaqra (شقرة) in the Abyan (أبين‎) governorate. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the town of Shaqra (شقرة) are: 13.356639, 45.699426.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Yemeni Air Force Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Yemeni Air Force
  • Yemeni Air Force position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–8
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–2

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM136-B

Incident date

December 24, 2012

Location

المناسح, Manaseh, Bayda', Yemen

Geolocation

14.579762, 44.750219 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two suspected Al Qaeda militants were killed and three were injured in an alleged US drone strike which hit a vehicle in Manaseh in al-Bayda province on December 24th, 2012 at 5pm. No civilian harm has been reported.

According to Reuters, AFP, and AP, two Al Qaeda militants were killed when a drone strike hit their vehicle. There were mixed reports about the identity of both victims. The first person killed was Abdel-Raoud Naseeb, a mid-level Al Qaeda operative who narrowly escaped the first recorded American drone strike in Yemen on November 3rd, 2002. His death was confirmed by his family to Reuters and AP. Naseeb had fled southern Lawdar wherein a US-backed military offensive was taking place earlier in 2012. However, AFP claimed the the militant was Abdullah Hussein al-Waeli, an Al Qaeda member from the province of Marib, who escaped prison two years prior.

Locals speaking to Reuters reported that the second victim was Jordanian. Xinhua reported that he was a Syrian national. @ali_alshami on Twitter claimed that his name was Nasser al-Sanea but no other sources corroborated this. Overall, tribal sources and news outlets reported three militants were injured in the strike with no further details.

The drone strike was allegedly an American Predator drone according to the Long War Journal. It was the first recorded US drone strike in seven weeks.

The incident occured at approximately 5:00 pm local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    3

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention that the strike targeted a vehicle near or in the village of Manaseh (المناسح) near the town Radda/Rada’a (رداع), in the Bayda’ province. The coordinates for the village of Manaseh (المناسح) are: 14.579762, 44.750219. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • The village of Manaseh (المناسح) near the town Radda/Rada’a (رداع) with roads marked in yellow

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    3

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM087-B

Incident date

May 18, 2012

Location

شقرة, Shaqra, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.356639, 45.699426 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three Al Qaeda members were killed and six others were wounded by alleged US or Yemeni airstrikes on the town of Shaqra on May 17, 2012. There were no reports of civilian harm.

Yemen News Network tweeted from @YemenNews that warplanes struck two tanks captured by Al Qaeda in Arquob, west of Shaqra. The warplanes were believed to be Yemeni. @YenNews1 reported that warplanes bombed an Al Qaeda checkpoint in Shaqra, and this story was supported by @ahrar_tagheer who noted both dead and wounded at a checkpoint strike and @TaizCity which noted the same. The latter again mentioned warplanes but did not attribute these planes to either Yemen or the United States.

Evan Kohlmann offered a more specific report at @IntelTweet, noting that Abdel Elah bin Mustafa al-Shehri, a twenty-year old Saudi national, had been killed by a U.S. drone strike. No other report corroborated this, and this tweet may have been referring to an earlier strike.

Associated Press reported a single ‘Yemeni warplane’ struck a checkpoint in Shaqra in Abyan province. Three alleged militants were killed and six wounded, the agency said.

Given that CNN had reported US strikes on the same town the previous day, this may also have been a US action.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3
  • Belligerents reported injured
    6

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Shaqra (شقرة) in the Abyan (أبين‎) governorate. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the town of Shaqra (شقرة) are: 13.356639, 45.699426.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Yemeni Air Force Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Yemeni Air Force
  • Yemeni Air Force position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3
  • Belligerents reported injured
    6

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM034-C

Incident date

September 5, 2011

Location

مدرسة الفاروق الثانوية في جعار, Al-Farouq high school, Jaar, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.210097, 45.305594 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian, a child, was killed and four others, including two children, were injured in the alleged US drone strike or Yemeni airstrike that hit the Al-Farouq High School in Ja´ar Abyan Province on the 5th of September 2011. Wafaa Mohammed Ahmed al-Hamza (8 years old) was killed and her father Mohammed Ahmed Baggash and her brother Sabr (13 years old) were among the civilians injured.

Mareb Press reported that airstrikes hit Al-Farouq High School and that the number of victims killed and wounded was in the hundreds. This number of civilian casualties was not reiterated by other outlets but Amnesty stated that Wafaa Mohammed Ahmed- Al-Hamza (8 years old) was killed by flying shrapnel. The report stated that: “She and her brother had brought lunch for her father, who worked as a school janitor. While at the school, which was not one of those occupied by Ansar al Shari’a, a missile landed on a section of Ja’ar’s main asphalt road adjacent to the metal entrance gate of the school…The father, who was injured in the shoulder, carried Wafaa and knocked on a neighbour’s door for help”. The neighbour stated that Wafaa was brought to a pharmacist in Batis who pronounced the young girl dead. The report further mentions the injury of Wafaa’s 13-year-old brother who sustained a knee injury.

Whilst not specifying the date, BBC reported on the alleged incident that killed Mohammed Ahmed Baggash’s daughter Wafaa. After hiding from the drone strikes in the school, the school was hit by a drone strike. Mr Baggash said: “It was as if everyone was burning. It was all dark. When the smoke cleared, I saw my son’s leg was bleeding, and my daughter was hit on the back of the head” whilst both children were carried out of the site, his son survived but his daughter bled to death on the way to hospital. Mr Baggash recalled that his daughter started shrinking in his arms. In addition, BBC asserted the injury of further children. Alkarama reported that in addition to the child killed, four others were injured, two men and two children.

Mondoweiss published a report on the alleged incident, with identical names but different times, as it claimed the attack was carried out on the 7th of September, not on the 5th. Mr Baggash told members of Codepink that he and “his children ran to the local school to hide in the basement, afraid there might be another strike. Huddling on the floor, they tried to protect Wafaa by sandwiching her between them.” Mr Baggash’s back was injured whilst his son sustained an injury on his leg. He claimed that Wafaa died on her way to the hospital in Aden. Following the incident, Sabr, Wafaa’s brother, had nightmares for six to eight months and the children in the community were terrified every time they heard or saw a plane.

The airstrikes on Al-Farouq High School was one of multiple airstrikes carried out on September 5th, which hit the Grand Mosque, Al-Razi Hospital, Al-Farouq High School, the Drilling Department, the Jaar Court, and Beit Al-Watti. Sources were conflicted as to whether the airstrikes carried out on this day were conducted by US forces or the Yemeni government.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Wafaa Mohammed Ahmed al-Hamza الحمزة أحمد محمد وفاء
8 years old female killed
Mohammed Ahmed Baggash
Adult male injured
Sabr
13 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention Al Farouq High School (مدرسة الفاروق الثانوية) in the town of Jaar (جعار), for which the generic coordinates are: 13.210097, 45.305594. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Yemeni Air Force Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Yemeni Air Force
  • Yemeni Air Force position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 child)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM016-C

Incident date

June 3, 2011

Location

زنجبار‎, Zinjibar, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.129059, 45.380422 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US drone strike in the city of Zinjibar reportedly killed four civilians in addition to up to eight members of Al Qaeda, according to local sources, on June 3, 2011.

The New York Times reported that a US airstrike in the city of Zinjibar killed Abu Ali al Harithi, a “veteran of Abu Musab al Zarqawi’s al Qaeda in Iraq currently serving as a commander in the al Qaeda affiliated Aden Abyan Islamic Army,” and a number of other militants as well as four civilians, according to witnesses. This was the only report of civilian harm.

According to Almotamar, Abu Ali al-Harithi  was killed alongside “seven other elements [meaning AQAP].”

The New York Times reported that a jet carried out the strike. However, anonymous US officials told ABC News a US military drone ultimately fired the lethal missile but that US jets were nearby but did not release weapons.

However, an AQAP fighter named Abu al Harithi was also claimed to be killed in the first ever US drone strike on Yemen, November 3 2002 (USYEM001-B), as noted by Yemen expert Gregory Johnsen.

Nevertheless, AQAP later confirmed through Inspire magazine the deaths of al-Harithi, Ammar Abadah Nasser al Waeli, a ‘veteran’ of Afghanistan, and Abu Jafar al Adeni, stating that Wa’eli was killed “with his brother” Adeni.

Inspire provided the following details on Harithi’s death: “While fighting in Abyan, his vehicle was struck by a missile from an American drone. Nothing remained from him except small pieces of flesh scattered around. That was the death Abu Ali waited for.”

The Jamestown Foundation identified the June 3rd strike as that which killed al-Harithi and al Wa’eli. And on June 9th 2011, the Yemeni Defence Ministry announced that al Waili (also known as Waeli) and Adeni were killed “in ongoing operations by the Yemeni army against the organization in Abyan province.”

Two weeks earlier, President Obama’s chief counter terrorism adviser John Brennan had spoken by phone with Yemen’s President Saleh, where: “He affirmed the commitment of the United States to stand with the Yemeni government and people as they… combat the security threat from al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula.”

In May 2012, Newsweek reported on a JSOC operation that appears to match this event. Newsweek said: “In May 2011, the [US] military proposed killing 11 AQAP operatives at once, by far the largest request since it stepped up operations in Yemen. The Arab Spring’s turmoil had spread to the country, and al Qaeda was moving quickly to take advantage of the chaos. Gen. James Mattis, who heads U.S. Central Command, warned darkly of an emerging new terror hub in the Horn of Africa. Obama and a few of his senior advisers, however, were wary of getting dragged into an internal conflict—or fueling a backlash—by targeting people who were not focused on striking the United States. Obama and his aides reduced the target list to four people, all of whom were eliminated.”

However Daniel Klaidman reported that the decision to kill a large number of AQAP targets was not taken until 6pm Washington time on June 11th, and that “a few days later all of them were eliminated.” If correct, that indicates either that the June 3rd strike on Zinjibar occurred between June 12-15th, or that another unreported strike at that time killed a number of senior AQAP figures.

Due to the nature of both CIA and US military involvement in Yemen, and the lack of official acknowledgement by the CIA for their involvement, Airwars grades this event as “declared” due to the comments made by US government sources to media, in lieu of public reporting on CIA actions.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–8

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • AQAP operatives Ali Abudullah Naji al Harithi (left) and Ammar Abadah Nasser al Wa'eli, killed in a US military strike on Zinjibar, June 3rd 20117 (via Inspire)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Zinjibar (زنجبار‎), Abyan province, for which the coordinates are: 13.129059, 45.380422. Due to limited information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

However, anonymous US officials told ABC News a US military drone ultimately fired the lethal missile but that US jets were nearby but did not release weapons.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–8

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM061-B

Incident date

April 16, 2012

Location

الـخـرمـة, Kharama, Mayfa'a district, Shabwa, Yemen

Geolocation

14.360845, 47.414316 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

According to news reports and local sources, between three and seven militants were killed in a series of five alleged US drone strikes close to the village of Kharama, between the towns of Azzan and Huta in Shabwa province on the evening of the 16th of April, 2012. The strikes were conducted within the mountainous region of Salb Al-Ain against a number of different Al Qaeda positions.

Whilst the Yemen Defence Ministry initially claimed that the attacks were carried out by Yemeni warplanes, two security officials and another from the Yemen Defence Ministry later told CNN that the strikes were conducted by US drones. CNN reported that the five different strikes were made against “hideouts, checkpoints, training facilities, and weapons warehouses,” and Barakish specifically referred to an Al Qaeda point at the Azzan Al-Houta junction as being hit in the strikes..”

These facts were supported by other news outlets such as Mareb Press and Sana News. Xinhua and local sources additionally reported that a car carrying Al Qaeda militants was hit by missiles launched from a US drone as the car travelled from Kharama to the town of Azzan. Local sources told “Al-Masdar Online” that the strikes occured at an agricultural area located between the city of Azzan and Kour Ahl Hadaj called “Salb Al-Ain Farms” belonging to the Badian Al-Numan tribe.

Mareb Press and several local sources also stated that the militants killed were specifically members of the al-Qaeda linked ‘Ansar al-Sharia’ group. On the 17th of April, Xinhua reported a statement issued by an al-Qaeda spokesman who acknowledged that three of their fighters had been killed in a “US drone raid”. However, multiple sources, including @binlznmalawlaqy, put the death toll at seven militants killed.

Xinhua further stated that foreign militants were killed in the strikes, including one Syrian and an Algerian, according to a Yemeni intelligence officer. The fact that foreign fighters were killed in the attacks was also supported by several different local sources. The ‘Long War Journal’ similarly stated that the ‘Madad News Agency’, the propaganda arm of AQAP (Al Qaeda on the Arab Peninsula) announced on the 25th of April that an Egyptian jihadist known as Abu Musab al-Masri was killed “a week ago in an American bombing between the cities of Azzan and al-Hotah in Shabwa province”, an indication that al-Masri may have been killed in the drone strikes on the 16th of April.

No civilians were reported to have been killed or injured in the strikes.

Due to the nature of both CIA and US military involvement in Yemen, and the lack of official acknowledgement by the CIA for their involvement, Airwars grades this event as “declared” due to the comments made by US government sources to media, in lieu of public reporting on CIA actions.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–7

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Abu Musab al Masri, an alleged Egyptian jihadist who fought alongside al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, reported to have been killed in a US drone strike in April near Azzan in Shabwa. (via Long War journal)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the area or village of Kharama (or Karma) (الـخـرمـة) between the towns of Azzan (عزان) and Huta (الحوطة). The coordinates for the village Kharama (الـخـرمـة) are: 14.360845, 47.414316. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • The village Kharama (or Karma) (الـخـرمـة) between the towns of Azzan (عزان) and Huta (الحوطة), with the road between the two towns marked in red

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–7

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM108-C

Incident date

June 20, 2012

Location

المحفد, Mahfed district, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.989198, 46.680717 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the 20th of June 2012, an airstrike allegedly by US or Yemeni forces in northern Abyan killed Hussein Saleh (35), a worker with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), multiple sources, such as Reuters, reported. Al-Sahwa Net also reported that seven militants were killed and 10 others were wounded in the same incident.

According to Adengad Saleh was the Vice President of the ICRC in Aden and was expecting his fifth child with his wife. A news release by the ICRC, stated that Hussein Saleh was “assessing the humanitarian situation in the region” with three other workers from the ICRC when he was struck. A spokeswoman from the ICRC reported that Saleh’s colleagues were not injured in the strike. A local official told Reuters that it was the Yemeni Air Force which carried out the attack but at least two Twitter sources, @ps_press and @Emilioftorsello, reported that it was a US strike which killed Saleh. Another ICRC member told the BBC that it was not clear whether the attack was the work of a US drone or the Yemeni Air Force.

Much confusion exists concerning the details of the strike. Whereas most reports suggest that the strike took place on Wednesday the 20th of June, BBC reported that the strike took place on Tuesday morning whilst a report from Adengad suggests that Saleh was killed on Thursday afternoon. Little is also known about the exact location of the air strike. Adengad claimed that Saleh was hit whilst travelling between Ataq (the provincial capital) and Aden. An ICRC spokeswoman told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism by email that Saleh “was outside an ICRC vehicle when shrapnel hit him. He died from the shrapnel injuries. The strike did not hit the ICRC vehicle directly.” Furthermore, Adengad reports that Saleh was transported to Ataq Central Hospital after the strike, but that his life could not be saved.

According to Al-Sahwa Net, airstrikes on a gathering of Al Qaeda militants the afternoon of June 20th resulted in the death of eight people and the wounding of 10 others, and that one of the dead was the civilian Hussein Saleh who “was injured while passing near the place where the militants were targeted.”

The ICRC have been sparse in the details that they have given with spokesperson Hicham Hassan reporting that “It was an air strike. We have no additional details whatsoever”. The head of the ICRC in Yemen, Eric Marclay, added however that “We are devastated by the tragic loss of our friend and colleague Hussein,” and that “He was a very motivated and devoted staff member. He played a tremendously crucial role within his team helping hundreds of thousands of people in the south, and lost his life while performing humanitarian work.” The exact details of what humanitarian work Saleh was conducting at the time remains a little unclear. However, Reuters and Al Jazeera report that Saleh was attempting to get in contact with Al Qaeda militants so that he could negotiate the release of one of his co-workers who was kidnapped by the organisation in April. It was reported by Adengad that the strike that killed Saleh took place only hours after a similar strike conducted by the Yemeni Air Force killed up to 30 Al Qaeda militants in a hideout in Mahfed which is also in Northern Abyan (USYEM109-B).

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Hussein Saleh
35 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man1 healthcare_personnel1 other protected person)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    7
  • Belligerents reported injured
    10

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the northern part of the Abyan (أبين‎) province. In the same reports the district of Mahfed (المحفد) is mentioned, although not directly related to the death of Hussein Saleh. However, the Mahfed (المحفد) district is in the north of Abyan (أبين‎) province and it is most likely the location of the strike. The generic coordinates for the Mahfed district are: 13.989198, 46.680717. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Yemeni Air Force Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Yemeni Air Force
  • Yemeni Air Force position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man1 healthcare_personnel1 other protected person)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    7
  • Belligerents reported injured
    10

Sources (19) [ collapse]