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

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Incident Code

USYEMTr098-C

Incident date

September 9, 2017

Location

السرو ، بالقرب من قريضة, Al Saru, in the vicinity of Quraidah, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.165570, 45.796766 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two US drone strikes in the Al Saru area of the Sama’a district in Bayda governorate, on the afternoon of September 9th 2017, reportedly killed at least one alleged AQAP militant and as many as four civilians, according to some sources.

In a later email to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a US Central Command spokesperson confirmed that three strikes were conducted in Bayda governorate on September 9th, killing “several” AQAP members.

According to three local-language sources, including Yemen Shabab, local reports indicated that four civilians or “paramedics” were killed by a US drone as they attempted to aid two alleged militants targeted by an initial strike while travelling on a motorbike in the Al Saru area, near the village of Qareidha.

Others suggested that those killed in the secondary strike were AQAP militants, though reports differed over the number of deaths.  Al-Arabi reported that, according to local sources, two “gunmen” were killed in the initial strike, followed by a further three who came to the site. According to Al-Masdar Online, one militant was killed and one injured in the first strike, while three were killed and “others” wounded in the second.

A “security source” told Khabar Agency that two suspected militants were killed in an initial strike, and that two other people were killed when they went to the aid of those killed in the first strike. It was not clear whether those reportedly killed in the second attack were militants or civilians.

Accounting for these reports, Airwars has assessed that a minimum of two civilians were reported killed in this strike, with a maximum of four. Between two and five militants were reportedly killed in the strike. Three belligerents were reportedly wounded, accounting for suggestions that one was injured in the first strike as well as plural “others” in the second.

This strike or strikes came alongside a further reported US action in the same area (USYEMTr100), which reportedly killed at least two alleged AQAP militants in the village of Qareidha.

Several sources gave varying estimates of the overall death toll from the three strikes.  Most suggested that a total of seven militants were killed or “killed and wounded”. At the lower end, one source, @Yemenat, suggested that five AQAP members were killed and one wounded. Another Twitter source suggested that ten militants were “killed and injured”. These overall figures fit into the casualty ranges assessed by Airwars for USYEMTr098-C and USYEMTr100.

While many sources specifically located the strikes in or near Qareidha, a few – including Reuters – indicated that the strikes took place in the area of two villages, named by some as Qareidha and Al Thubayb.

According to Al-Arabi, local sources said that “Al-Qaeda militants arrived in the al-Silo district last August, and their appearances indicate that they are not from the area”.  One local language Twitter source, @YemaniNet, suggested that two of those killed were AQAP leaders, though no other sources reported this, and it was unclear to which specific strike the source was referring.

In its May 2018 annual civilian casualty report, the US Department of Defense stated that “there were credible reports of civilian casualties caused by U.S. military actions in Yemen against AQAP and ISIS during 2017”, but did not specify which specific actions these reports referred to.  Overall, the Department of Defense assessed that there were credible reports of “approximately 499 civilians killed and approximately 169 civilians injured during 2017”, as a result of US military actions in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

Responding to Airwars’ publication of its Yemen dataset and accompanying report in October 2020, CENTCOM dismissed all but two civilian harm claims under President Trump, asserting that “USCENTCOM conducted a thorough review of the information AirWars provided regarding allegations of potential civilian harm caused by USCENTCOM strikes in Yemen from 2017-2020… The bulk of the information asserted by AirWars, however, did not correspond with dates and locations of U.S. military strikes or raids in Yemen.   Other AirWars allegations either did not allege civilian harm or were not assessed as credible upon our review.”

The incident occured in the afternoon.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (0–4 other protected persons)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–5
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2–3

Sources (51) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Several reports suggested that a US drone strike targeted two alleged AQAP militants on a motorbike in Al-Saru area, Sama'a district of Bayda, killing at least one (@demolinari, September 11th 2017)
  • US Central Command confirmed that three strikes took place on September 9th 2017 in Bayda governorate (@demolinari, September 11th 2017)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Al Saru (السرو) area, allegedly in the vicinity of Quraidah (قريظة) village. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Quraidah are: 14.165570, 45.796766.

US Forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None

Civilian casualty statements

US Forces
  • Nov 5, 2020

  • Via email: U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) continues to focus on ways to minimize civilian casualties during its military operations. We assess or review all reports of civilian casualties because such assessments or reviews help us identify ways to improve our operations and counter misinformation and propaganda. We routinely share the results of every one of our assessments in Department of Defense (DoD) reports to Congress, including annual reports, many of which are publicly available. We also share the results of our assessments or reviews with the public via the USCENTCOM website and our statements to the media. Individuals wishing to understand U.S. military operations in Yemen more fully should consult these official sources of information. USCENTCOM conducted a thorough review of the information AirWars provided regarding allegations of potential civilian harm caused by USCENTCOM strikes in Yemen from 2017-2020. Of the information AirWars provided, one strike on September 14, 2017, was assessed to have caused injuries to two civilians. Also, as previously released by USCENTCOM to the public in February 2017, USCENTCOM acknowledged there may have been civilian casualties during a raid on January 29, 2017. The bulk of the information asserted by AirWars, however, did not correspond with dates and locations of U.S. military strikes or raids in Yemen. Other AirWars allegations either did not allege civilian harm or were not assessed as credible upon our review. Consistent with our mission, our authorities, and our obligations under the law of war, USCENTCOM will continue to conduct military actions in Yemen when required to protect the Nation and our allies and partners from al Qa’ida and ISIS terror cells that are committed to inflicting terror. In every strike and raid, we take careful measures to minimize civilian harm and take responsibility for our actions. When our military operations result in reports of civilian harm, we will continue to assess the credibility of such reports to help us identify ways to improve our operations and respond as appropriate.

Original strike reports

US Forces

[Statement from CENTCOM to Bureau of Investigative Journalism] U.S. forces conducted three strikes against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Al Bayda Governorate, Yemen, killing several Al Qaeda terrorists on Sep. 9.

In coordination with the government of Yemen, U.S. forces are conducting a series of sustained counterterrorism operations in Yemen against AQAP to degrade the group's ability to hold territory and coordinate external terror attacks.

Additionally, this year, the U.S. has conducted more than 100 strikes against AQAP militants, infrastructure, fighting positions and equipment.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (0–4 other protected persons)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–5
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2–3

Sources (51) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM105-C

Incident date

June 15, 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 June 15th 2012, up to seven civilians, including a woman and up to six children, were killed by an alleged US military, CIA drone, or Yemen Air Force strike in the village of Shaqra, Ayban province. Four civilians were injured and no militants were killed according to witnesses.

The village of Shaqra, near Jaar, was hit by an alleged US military, CIA drone strike, or Yemeni airstrike that killed seven civilians – six children and one woman – according to a July 2013 investigation by human rights organisation Alkarama and reports by National Public Radio (NPR).

The Swiss-based NGO, Alkarama, reported four houses were hit in the strike. They had been used temporarily by armed groups before the attack. It was “not clear whether the Yemeni air force launched the strike, or whether it came from a US military or CIA drone.”

NPR told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism the strike came after Friday prayers. Ali al Armoudi survived the strike and told NPR his four-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter “died in his arms on the way to the hospital.”

A Yemeni soldier accompanied a NPR reporter in Yemen. “‘You should come and take a picture of the houses. Children were killed, people were killed,’ one Yemeni civilian says.
I look at a soldier and ask, ‘Like a bomb coming from the air?’ He says yes. The soldiers won’t take us to the site of the bombing. But we later confirm that there was an airstrike in Shaqra that killed six children and one woman the day before we visited. It’s still not clear whether the Yemeni air force launched the strike, or whether it came from a U.S. military or CIA drone.

A second NPR report published on July 6th says: “A man named Ali Al Amoudi lets out a sigh as he tells us how the strike hit his house and three others just a few weeks ago in the town of Shaqra, just down the road from Jaar. His 4-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter were hit. They died in his arms on the way to the hospital. Four other children and one woman died that day. No militants were killed, according to witnesses. Amoudi says the strike was fate. ‘What can we do?’ he says. ‘All justice is from God.'”

Local residents in the neighbourhood told Aden Al-Ghad that a warplane fired missiles at the house of the citizen “Hadi Imbat”, which was located behind the fish factory in Al-Bandar neighbourhood. The raid resulted in the injury of the citizen “Hadi Embat” and the killing of his wife and two of his daughters while they were in the house. The air strikes also hit a house next to a person called “Al-Moawadi.”

According to the local news source Aden al-Ghad, inhabitants of Shaqra were prevented from leaving the city and forced to return by Al Qaeda militants days before the strike. A few days before the strike, armed groups had withdrawn from the Arqoub Mountains and were taking shelter in Shaqra, one of their last strongholds, reported Aden Al-Ghad.

The incident occured around midday.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Son of Ali al Armoudi
4 years old male killed
Daughter of Ali al Armoudi
6 years old male killed

Family members (4)

Hadi Imbat
Adult male injured
Wife of Hadi Imbat
Adult female killed
Daughter of Hadi Imbat
female killed
Daughter of Hadi Imbat
female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5 – 7
  • (4–6 children1 woman)
  • 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

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Shaqra (شقرة), for which the generic coordinates are: 13.356639, 45.699426. 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
    5 – 7
  • (4–6 children1 woman)
  • 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

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM032-C

Incident date

September 5, 2011

Location

مسجد جعار الكبير, Jaar Grand Mosque, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.224353, 45.305470 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to seven civilians were killed and three to five others, including a child, were injured in alleged Yemeni or US airstrikes against the Grand Mosque in Jaar on the 5th of September, 2011.

Civilians Jaber Qassem Salem (72), Hazza Ahmed Atta Baheb, Haidara Mohsen Ali al-Abidi were killed and Omar Qassem (11) among other civilians was injured.

Dawn reported on the incident quoting a Yemeni official who claimed that the accidental strike on the Grand Mosque killed seven and wounded five civilians. “The air force hit the Grand Mosque in Jaar whereas the target was a small mosque held by suspected Al Qaeda militants,” situated on the edge of the town, said the official. Dawn alleged that a medical official in Al-Razi hospital in Jaar confirmed the death toll, and the numbers were reiterated by The National and by several locals.

The National stated that the security force´s original target was the Al Hamza mosque, which was identified as a base and weapons depot for militants. The air strike was a mistake, but a security official claimed that the ”wanted militants were at the area of the attack one hour earlier”, reported CNN. Amnesty added that Ansar al-Shari´a fighters were firing Kalashnikovs at the aircrafts flying over the market near to the mosque. YMN further elaborated on the event and stated that an ally of Ansar al-Sharia, Khaled Abd al-Nabi, fired “anti-aircraft missiles moving from the middle of the public market, which necessitated the warplanes to launch a raid (…) the armed elements fled”.

Moreover, CNN reported that eyewitnesses saw three aircrafts flying over Jaar minutes before the attack, whilst some of the locals argued that they identified a Saudi plane in the attack, Alkarama claims.

Amnesty identified three civilians that were killed in the attack, including 72 year old Jaber Qassem Salem who died of the injuries he sustained a week after the attack. According to a relative: “He went to the mosque before noon prayers so that he would read the Qu’ran… while there, the mosque was hit and a man we knew immediately drove him to al-Razi Hospital. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, the aircraft struck again at or next to al-Razi… the Ansar al-Shari’a members occupying the hospital left him and fled. They then came back and wrapped his wounds with pieces of cloth, not proper medical bandages, and then my family found out that he was injured and took him to Aden.” Other civilians that were killed in the `botched attack` were identified as Hazza Ahmed Atta Baheb, a seller at the market next to the mosque and Haidara Mohsen Ali al-Abidi. Additionally Amnesty reported that several people were injured including 11 year old Omar Quassem, who was injured by flying shrapnel.

MEO further claimed that the mosque was targeted twice by Yemeni forces, and that the civilians were taken to an unidentified hospital in Jaar, confirming the two airstrikes. While Amnesty International reported the strike was carried out by the Yemen Air Force, the NGO said it ‘cannot exclude the possibility that some of the air strikes documented in this report may have been carried out by US drones’.

The incident occured at approximately 12:00 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Jaber Qassem Salem سامل قاسم جابر
72 years old male killed
Hazza Ahmed Atta Baheb أحمد باحيب عطا
Age unknown eller in the market killed
Haidara Mohsen Ali al-Abidi العبيدي عيل محسنحيدرة
Age unknown killed
Omar Qassem
11 years old injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Religious Institution
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 7
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–5
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Jaar Grand Mosque (مسجد جعار الكبير), for which the generic coordinates are: 13.224353, 45.305470. 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
    Religious Institution
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 7
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–5
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM113-B

Incident date

July 23, 2012

Location

المحفد, Mahfad, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

14.060462, 46.914385 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the night of July 23rd 2012 around 11pm, alleged US or Yemeni warplanes launched two strikes against two supposed Al Qaeda hideouts in the al-Mahfad district in the south of the Abyan Province; five alleged Al Qaeda militants were killed in these strikes according to the Associated Press. Local twitter users and a local news source Mareb Press reported that the strikes hit areas that local Bedouin communities use for their animals to graze without specifying if there were any civilian casualties.

Suhail News tweeted: “News about the damage to Bedouin gatherings in the area: Warplanes launch air strikes on al-Qaeda sites in the Al-Mahfad district in Abyan”. A twitter user under the handle nasserbasser tweeted that:  “Air strikes in Al-Mahfad target citizens’ livestock instead of (Al Qaeda) members”. Mareb Press reported in an article that local sources informed them that warplanes bombed a “narrow” area in Mahfad where Al Qaeda militants had taken refuge after leaving the cities of the Abyan and Shabwa governorates. Militants announced their presence in al Mahfad after their withdrawal from the cities months ago. Mareb Press reported that their local sources believe some missiles may have fallen on some of the Bedouin communities who use the area for grazing.

Associated Press reported that Yemeni warplanes killed at least 5 Al Qaeda militants in overnight strikes on Al Qaeda hideouts in southern Abyan Province, according to a local security official. They also reported this official as saying that the attacks late on Monday, the 23rd July 2012, were concentrated in the al-Mahfad district where militants had retreated to after being driven out from their strongholds in the city of Zinjibar and the nearby town of Jaar, both of which the army recaptured from militants two months ago.

The area is said to be the last geographic stronghold of AQAP and Ansar al-Sharia, and Associated Press reported Yemeni media as saying that “the militants were consolidating their positions in al-Mahfad, quoting witnesses who said they saw military hardware headed to the area in in trucks.”

Although the attacks were attributed to the Yemen Air Force it is known not to have the technical capability to carry out such strikes. US aircraft and armed drones may therefore have been responsible.

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • 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
    5

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Mahfad (المحفد), for which the generic coordinates are: 14.060462, 46.914385. 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
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • 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
    5

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr120-C

Incident date

November 23, 2017

Location

الأحماص او محاص , يكلاء, Al Ahmas or Mahhas area, Yakla, Al Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.499999936, 45.09999993 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians, including a 14-year old boy, were killed in a US drone strike in Yakla, in the Qayfa area of Bayda governorate, on the evening of November 23rd 2017, according to several reports.

In an email to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a US Central Command spokesperson confirmed that a strike took place in Bayda on the 23rd, and said that two ISIS “terrorists” were killed. Since there were no other known reports of a strike on that day, this event is treated as declared. No local sources reported any belligerent casualties, despite the US claims.

Three news sources – Yemen Shabab, Huna Radaa, and Aden News – named those killed as 25-year old Ahmed Salem Mabkhout Al-Ameri, and 14-year old Muhammad Musaad Abbad al-Bagh, and indicated that they were targeted by a US drone while on a motorbike in the Al Ahmas area of Yakla.

According to Alharf28, a local government source told Anatolia Agency that the civilians were working on a farm in the area, and had no ties to extremist groups. The original Anatolia report could not be found.  Aden News also reported that those killed were farmers, according to locals, and added that they were returning from prayers at the time.

Iona Craig, a reporter, tweeted that Al-Ameri was the nephew of Sheikh Aziz al-Ameri, who had reportedly lost 20 family members in a January 2017 US raid, also in Yakla.

Gulf News reported, in an article that appears to have been updated on November 28th 2017, that five civilians, “mainly farmers”, were killed in the course of “three separate air strikes” in the Qayfa area during that week. This reported civilian casualty event likely accounts for at least one of the reported strikes, alongside event USYEMTr122-C.

Gulf News reported that recent US drone strikes in the area had “displaced residents and caused panic”. “The air strikes have caused great panic among civilians,” the activist told Gulf News. “The targeted areas have no functioning schools or hospitals.”

In its May 2018 annual civilian casualty report, the US Department of Defense stated that “there were credible reports of civilian casualties caused by U.S. military actions in Yemen against AQAP and ISIS during 2017”, but did not specify which specific actions these reports referred to.  Overall, the Department of Defense assessed that there were credible reports of “approximately 499 civilians killed and approximately 169 civilians injured during 2017”, as a result of US military actions in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

Responding to Airwars’ publication of its Yemen dataset and accompanying report in October 2020, CENTCOM dismissed all but two civilian harm claims under President Trump, asserting that “USCENTCOM conducted a thorough review of the information AirWars provided regarding allegations of potential civilian harm caused by USCENTCOM strikes in Yemen from 2017-2020… The bulk of the information asserted by AirWars, however, did not correspond with dates and locations of U.S. military strikes or raids in Yemen.   Other AirWars allegations either did not allege civilian harm or were not assessed as credible upon our review.”

In March 2021 Mwatana published a comprehensive review of this event, which it said was based on in depth interviews, site visits, and imagery and munitions analysis. The study also found that two civilians had died. It noted: “On the day of the strike, Ahmed and Mohammed were at Ahmed’s qat farm. They were both picking qat from the farm to sell. At around 5:30 in the evening, Ahmed and Mohammed were preparing to leave the farm on Mohammed’s motorbike when the strike occurred. Mohammed’s mother was the first to reach her son. Mohammed and Ahmed’s bodies were still aflame when she reached the site.”

The incident occured at approximately 5:30 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Ahmed Salem Mabkhout Al-Amri
25 years old male killed
Muhammad Musaad Abbad al-Bagaz
14 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    ISIS - Yemen
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • Weapon remnants found after the attack, which a weapons expert identified as likely parts of an AGM-114 Hellfire missile. Video received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • Weapon remnants found after the attack, which a weapons expert identified as likely parts of an AGM-114 Hellfire missile. Video received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • Weapon remnants found after the attack, which a weapons expert identified as likely parts of an AGM-114 Hellfire missile. Video received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • Weapon remnants found after the attack, which a weapons expert identified as likely parts of an AGM-114 Hellfire missile. Video received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • Weapon remnants found after the attack, which a weapons expert identified as likely parts of an AGM-114 Hellfire missile. Video received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • The motorbike that was carrying Ahmed and Mohammed at the time of the strike, found at the location of the November 23, 2017 US air strike. Photo received from a relative. Via Mwatana.
  • Mohammed’s school certificate, showing him to be in the third grade during the 2010-2011 school year, sent to Mwatana by Mohammed’s parents. Via Mwatana

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Al Ahmas (الأحماص) or Mahhas (محاص) area, allegedly in or in the vicinity of Yakla (يكلاء) village. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Yakla are: 14.499999936, 45.09999993.

US Forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None

Civilian casualty statements

US Forces
  • Nov 5, 2020

  • Via email: U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) continues to focus on ways to minimize civilian casualties during its military operations. We assess or review all reports of civilian casualties because such assessments or reviews help us identify ways to improve our operations and counter misinformation and propaganda. We routinely share the results of every one of our assessments in Department of Defense (DoD) reports to Congress, including annual reports, many of which are publicly available. We also share the results of our assessments or reviews with the public via the USCENTCOM website and our statements to the media. Individuals wishing to understand U.S. military operations in Yemen more fully should consult these official sources of information. USCENTCOM conducted a thorough review of the information AirWars provided regarding allegations of potential civilian harm caused by USCENTCOM strikes in Yemen from 2017-2020. Of the information AirWars provided, one strike on September 14, 2017, was assessed to have caused injuries to two civilians. Also, as previously released by USCENTCOM to the public in February 2017, USCENTCOM acknowledged there may have been civilian casualties during a raid on January 29, 2017. The bulk of the information asserted by AirWars, however, did not correspond with dates and locations of U.S. military strikes or raids in Yemen. Other AirWars allegations either did not allege civilian harm or were not assessed as credible upon our review. Consistent with our mission, our authorities, and our obligations under the law of war, USCENTCOM will continue to conduct military actions in Yemen when required to protect the Nation and our allies and partners from al Qa’ida and ISIS terror cells that are committed to inflicting terror. In every strike and raid, we take careful measures to minimize civilian harm and take responsibility for our actions. When our military operations result in reports of civilian harm, we will continue to assess the credibility of such reports to help us identify ways to improve our operations and respond as appropriate.

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
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    ISIS - Yemen
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

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

USYEM125-C

Incident date

September 5, 2012

Location

الهشم, Hashim, Hadhramout, Yemen

Geolocation

15.4619740, 48.4316200 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to four civilians were killed when an alleged US drone reportedly fired eight missiles on a residential house with a winery on the ground floor in the village of Hashim in Hadramout. Sources were conflicted as to who was killed, with some reporting that the strike killed up to six Al Qaeda affiliates and wounded three more militants.

According to the DPA news agency, “Four civilians were killed Wednesday in an airstrike by a US drone in eastern Yemen”. The sources added: “A local worker and three foreigners were killed in the strike on a house in the area of Wadi al-Ain in the province of Hadramout, said the independent Yemeni website Mareb Press.” A tweet from @BaFana3 reported that one civilian and four Iraqi/Syria Al Qaeda members were killed.

An anonymous US intelligence official confirmed a US drone carried out the strike. However, according to the Long War Journal, the Yemeni military later took responsibility for the attack.  A Yemeni security official said “none of those killed were on the government’s list of most-wanted terrorists.” The anonymous official told CNN: “Those killed were mostly new Al Qaeda members who were seeking to recruit more fighters from within the province. Only one of those killed had been with the network for more than three years.”

Initial reports said that two middle-ranking or senior members of the local branch of Al Qaeda were also among the dead, and a Yemeni military official said a “senior [Al Qaeda] member” named as Murad Ben Salem was killed in the strike.

However, an anonymous source told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism that Murad, while he may have had militant links, was a worker to whom a traditional sesame oil press belonged to. Other sources, including Hour News, referred to the location as a “vegetable oil presser” and winery, adding that the explosion demolished the house that the winery was located below.

The source also reported that two foreign Al Qaeda members were killed, an Iraqi and a Syrian. Other reports said a Saudi and an Iraqi were among the dead. Xinhua identified three militants as being injured, and added that they had managed to flee the bombing area.

Witnesses reported that eight men escaped the building. “Weapons found in the house after the attack are enough to conduct more than a dozen terrorist operations,” according to a senior security official.

Reuters was the sole agency later to report that AQAP number two Said al Shehri died in the attack. AQAP announced the death of al Shehri in a video that was released on July 16, 2013 according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which obtained the video. However, the statement does not specify when he was killed, only that it was by US drones. In October 2012, AP reported that “a man claiming to be Saudi-born [Said al Shehri] says reports of his death were a “rumor to cover up the killing of innocent Muslim civilians: and in April 2013, AQAP released a statement from al Shihri, and referred to him as if he was alive.

The reports at hand do contradict each other to some extent on how many civilians and belligerents were killed by the drone attack. While Reuters states that only five belligerents were killed in the attack, other sources such as Marebpress write that only four civilians were killed.

In addition, Hournews and Yafanews stated that the attack took place on September 4. All others reported that the strike took place on September 5.

Hour News reported that the bombing led to a state of panic and terror among the population, “as the target was between the residential houses in the Al-Hashem area and near the 26th of September School and close to the Babiker Charitable Hospital, which was dominated by a state of confusion within its departments and fear and panic among its sick”.

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 around dawn.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–6
  • Belligerents reported injured
    3

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Protests took place in three Yemen cities to demand an end to US drone strikes on September 7th.
  • Damage caused by alleged US drone strikes on September 4, 2012. (Image posted by Yafa News)
  • Damage caused by alleged US drone strikes on September 4, 2012. (Image posted by Yafa News)

Geolocation notes

Reports mention the village of Hashim (الهشم) in the Wadi Al Ain (وادي العين) area, Hadhramout governorate. The coordinates for the village of Hashim (الهشم) are: 15.4619740, 48.4316200. Due to limited information and satellite imagery 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

An anonymous US intelligence official confirmed to the Long War Journal that a US drone carried out the strike:

"...he strike was carried out by the US’s fleet of unmanned Predators and Reapers based in the area, a US intelligence official told The Long War Journal. US drones have zeroed in on Hadramout province over the past month. Of the seven recorded strikes since the beginning of August, five have taken place in the eastern province..."

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–6
  • Belligerents reported injured
    3

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM111-B

Incident date

July 3, 2012

Location

بيحان‎, Bayhan district, Shabwa, Yemen

Geolocation

14.734151, 45.720121 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On July 3rd 2012, an alleged US drone strike killed two to six members of Al Qaeda and injured two in a car traveling in the Beihan district of the Shabwah Province. Witnesses stated the drone was American, a claim later supported by news reports. Fox News quoting an official identified two of the dead suspected operatives as Fahd Saleh al-Anjaf al Harithi and Hassan Ali al-Ishaqi.

The death toll ranged from two to six. The Yemen Post and Naharnet published reports of three people killed in the strike. Independent human rights and political activist Ahmed Hashed tweeted that five Al Qaeda members were killed in the strike. China’s Xinhua News agency and Antara News both reported that five Al Qaeda operatives were killed and two injured when a drone fired three missiles. The Suhail Channel later tweeted that six individuals believed to be in Al Qaeda were killed in the strike. Marib Press and Sahafnet both described two of the dead as Al Qaeda operatives but did not provide names. Aden-al-Ghad News quoted witnesses describing the drone as a United States military warplane that struck and destroyed a saloon car on a road connecting Asilan and Bayhan in the Shabwa governorate. This description was supported by witnesses interviewed by Al-Arabiya News.

Witnesses claimed that “several bodies were scattered next to the bombed car. Army soldiers rushed immediately and imposed a cordon around the whole area”. Yemen Post quoted a source who said the car had weapons. “The suspects in the car were killed and explosions of the weapons were heard after the strike,” they added.

A more detailed report was later released by Fox News, which credited a U.S. drone with the deadly strike. The Fox News report cited a Yemeni military official who told the Associated Press that the two al-Qaeda members who were killed helped to train future al-Qaeda operatives. A Reuters report claimed that four people were killed in the strike and a Yemeni security officer, speaking on anonymity, believed that two cars were struck by missiles.

The incident occured in the evening.

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
    2–6
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (21) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention that the strike targeted two vehicles in the Bayhan (بيحان‎) district of the Shabwa (شبوة‎) governorate. One source also mentions the Harib (حريب) area, this however most likely refers to the Harib (حريب) district in neighbouring governorate Ma’rib (مَأْرِب). The generic coordinates for the district Bayhan (بيحان‎) are: 14.734151, 45.720121. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Bayhan (بيحان‎) and Harib (حريب) districts marked in red, with the border of Shabwa (شبوة‎) governorate in black and the major roads 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
    2–6
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (21) [ collapse]