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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Country
Yemen
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Incident Code

USYEM089-B

Incident date

May 19, 2012

Location

ٱلْبَيْضَاء‎, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.27576, 45.357215 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Province/governorate level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A second alleged US drone strike on May 19th 2012 around noon destroyed a vehicle in the southern province of Bayda, killing two militants, international and local media reported. There are currently no known reports of civilian harm.

The attack killed the two occupants according to provincial governor Mohammed al Ameri who told the defense ministry website. The dead were alleged Al Qaeda operatives from Somalia and Yemen.

A tweet from @SUHFNET_YE specified that the air strikes occurred in the Al-Hana area in the Massoura district. @Albaidanew and other local sources described the car as being a Cressida car and the location of the vehicle as being “on a walled road in Bayda.”

Sources told AFP and Associated Press the strike was carried out by a US drone. The Yemen Air Force was reportedly not capable of carrying out such a precise strike, such as targeting a moving vehicle.

The incident occured around midday.

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

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention that a vehicle was targeted in the southern governorate of Bayda (ٱلْبَيْضَاء‎). Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the governorate Bayda (ٱلْبَيْضَاء‎) are: 14.27576, 45.357215.

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

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM138-C

Incident date

December 28, 2012

Location

شحير, Near the hospital in Shoheer, Hadhramout, Yemen

Geolocation

14.686050, 49.395009 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the evening of December 28, 2012, an alleged US drone strike fired missiles at a moving motorcycle killed between two to four alleged AQAP militants near the town of Shaher, near the site of a strike four days earlier. An investigation by an NGO revealed that a 10 year old child was also wounded.

A child, Mawz Hassan Abdullah Hassan, 9/10 years old, was wounded in the arm and hand by the attack which hit in a residential area, Alkarama reported. His mother, Um Hassan, aged 37 stated that her son did not know exactly where his injury came from, yet the bomb fragment was identified in the hospital later. She told Alkarma “It was a Friday; we were sitting in front of our tent before lunch. My son was playing 50 m away when we heard a loud explosion without knowing where it had occurred. I went out to call my son Hassan, who ran off in the opposite direction to our home. We caught him and brought him back. His hand was bleeding profusely. We asked him what had happened and he fell. He did not know where the injury came from. We took him to the hospital where the doctor warned us that bomb fragment had hit the bone of his forearm and he needed surgery to remove the fragment…We had to pay ourselves, while we have 10 children and we are very poor. And now, two months later, Hassan complains of pain in the hand that was hit by the explosion.”In addition, a demonstration took place later in Shoheer to denounce the alleged US raid. According to news on Twitter from @hadhramoutnet, thousands of residents of the Shoheer town took part in the march against further drone strikes from the US.

There were conflicting reports of the details and deathtoll for the attack. Xinhua reported the strike took place near a hospital in Shoheer while local press reported the targeted men had been riding separate motorbikes and had been targeted in “separate attacks”.  “Two members of Al Qaeda on a motorcycle died on the spot when targeted by a missile fired by a US drone,” an unnamed local official told AFP. The identities of the two killed are not disclosed yet there are reports that the alleged members were foreigners. A delegation from Swiss-based NGO Alkarma investigated the strike, reporting in July 2013 that Shoheer resident Hassan Ibrahim Suleiman told them as many as three missiles hit two motorcycles. “The three bodies were shredded. We collected the remains without knowing who they were,” he said.

The majority of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the strikes to the US, with some sources identifying airstrikes while others refer to drone strikes.

The incident occured around midday.

The victims were named as:

Mawz Hassan Abdullah Hassan
10 years old male Reportedly "wounded in the arm and hand" injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–4

Sources (34) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of a victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by @majalis_hadrmut)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of a victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by @majalis_hadrmut)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of a victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by @majalis_hadrmut)
  • Damage from an alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)
  • Damage from an alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by Yemen Post)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of a victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by @majalis_hadrmut)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of a victim of alleged US strikes on December 28, 2012. (Image posted by @majalis_hadrmut)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention that the strike targeted two motorcycles near the hospital in the coastal town Shoheer (شحير). The coordinates for the hospital are: 14.686050, 49.395009. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the precise location of the strike.

  • Location of the hospital in Shoheer (شحير), and the stadium where the strike earlier that week took place

    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 and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–4

Sources (34) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr143-C

Incident date

January 29, 2018

Location

القمعلة, Al Qam`alah, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.06654, 45.50265 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

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 29th. Since there were no other known reported strikes in Bayda on that day, this event is treated as declared.

Sources, including Al-Arabi and Al-Masdar Online, named those killed as Yahia Abdullah al-Hassbi and Abdul Aziz Muhammad Al-Mashriqi. Associated Press later reported that 14-year old Yahia was killed as he tended goats seven kilometres from a checkpoint that AQAP had previously tried to seize. Other sources also indicated that a child had died in the strike. According to relatives and three local human rights workers, a passing construction worker, Al-Mashriqi, was also killed in the strike.

Other sources, however, suggested that the one or both of the individuals killed in the strike were members of the Yemeni government army and/or were AQAP militants.  According to Al-Arabi, sources indicated that both Yahia and Abdul were AQAP members fighting against the Houthis in the area, and said that their tribe, the Al Omar, had disavowed them three years previously. AQAP militants have been previously reported to have fought alongside pro-Hadi forces.

A local source told Al-Masdar Online that the strike, which targeted a “resistance point” in the Al-Maqqa area, had killed two resistance elements named as Yahia and Abdul, and had wounded others. The source also said that continued drone flights prevented paramedics from reaching the wounded, for fear of follow-up strikes.

A pro-government commander, Mohamed al-Ghunaimi, told Anatolia Agency that the two killed were pro-government fighters.  “We are sure the Americans conducted the air strike. They always bomb us and accuse us of being Al-Qaeda,” he said.

Accounting for these conflicting reports, Airwars has assessed that there were reports of between one and two civilian deaths, and between one and two militant deaths. At least two combatants were reportedly injured in the strike.

In its annual civilian casualty report to Congress issued in April 2019, the US Department of Defense stated that it had assessed “no credible reports of civilian casualties resulting from US military actions in Yemen during 2018″.

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 local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Yahia Abdullah al-Hassbi
14 years old male Reported by some sources to be a combatant killed
Abdul Aziz Muhammad Al-Mashriqi
Adult male Reported by some sources to be a combatant killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 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
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • A fragment of the missile that reportedly killed Yahia Al-Hassbi (AP, November 14th 2018)
  • A fragment of the missile that reportedly killed Yahia Al-Hassbi (AP, November 14th 2018)
  • Fourteen-year-old Yahia al-Hassbi was reportedly killed in the US strike. Several sources indicated that he was killed while tending to goats, though some instead reported that he was a combatant. (AP, November 14th 2018)
  • Abdul Aziz Muhammad Al-Mashriqi was reportedly killed in the strike. Some sources suggested that he was a civilian construction worker, while others indicated that he was an active combatant (AP, November 14th 2018)

Geolocation notes

Reports on the incident mention the village of Al Qam`alah (القمعلة) for which the generic coordinates are: 14.06654,45.50265. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    No reason given
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None

Civilian casualty statements

US Forces
  • Nov 5, 2020
  • Apr 29, 2019

  • C. U.S. military action in Yemen against al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIS During 2018, U.S. forces deployed to Yemen continued to work towards disrupting and degrading the terrorist threat posed by AQAP and ISIS. U.S. forces conducted 36 airstrikes against AQAP and ISIS operatives and facilities in Yemen and supported United Arab Emirates and Yemen-led efforts to clear AQAP from Shabwah Governorate. DoD has no credible reports of civilian casualties resulting from U.S. military actions in Yemen during 2018.

  • 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
Official source

In a major move toward transparency, US Central Command (CENTCOM) provided details to FDD’s Long War Journal on US air strikes against Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen. Since early 2017, the military previously provided little information on the Yemen air campaign, typically providing only an aggregate number and limited detail on high-value target strikes.
In an email to LWJ, CENTCOM’s Major Josh T. Jacques disclosed the dates and locations of the last five months of strikes in Yemen. The information revealed that since the beginning of 2018, the US campaign against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen has focused on three governorates: Hadramout (eight strikes), Al Bayda (17), and Shabwa (three), demonstrating the eastern reach of the terrorist group.
Last year’s publicized strikes were concentrated in the central governorates of Al Bayda and Marib.
Location of US air strikes against AQAP and the Islamic State in 2018:
– Jan. 2018: Ten total strikes. The US conducted 8 strikes against AQAP in Bayda on Jan. 1, 3, 9, 12, 13, 20, 25, and 29. An additional strike against AQAP in Shabwah occurred on Jan. 26. An additional strike against the Islamic State occurred on Jan. 12 in Bayda.
– Feb. 2018: Six total strikes, all in Al Bayda governorate. Strikes occurred on Feb. 7, 11, 12, 16, and 24 (two strikes were conducted on Feb. 24).
– Mar. 2018: Seven total strikes, six of which occurred in Hadramout. Strikes occurred on Mar. 4 (two strikes), 5, 7, 8, and 13. An additional strike in Bayda occurred on March 29. [AQAP’s apparent entrenchment in eastern Yemen is concerning. In addition to the concentration of strikes in Hadramout, CENTCOM previously disclosed that AQAP operated training camps in the governorate as recently as April 2018, when they were targeted by American strikes.]
– Apr. 2018: Four total strikes, one each in Shabwah (April 26) and Al Bayda (April 23), and two in Hadramout (both on April 11).
– May 2018: One strike, in Shabwah on May 14.
– Jun. 2018: No strikes to date.
The US military has stepped up its counterterrorism campaign against al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen as well as the Islamic State since President Trump took office in 2017. Last year, the US launched 131 strikes (125 against AQAP and six against the Islamic State), nearly tripling the previous yearly high of 44 strikes in 2016.
At the current pace, the US will fall far short of that mark; there have been 28 strikes reported by CENTCOM in Yemen in the first five months of 2018.
This counterterrorism campaign has targeted AQAP’s infrastructure, including its training camps and media operations, which serve as a hub for al Qaeda’s global communications. The US has killed several mid-level AQAP leaders and media officials in its air campaign.
Despite suffering setbacks after seizing large areas of southern and central Yemen between 2015-2016, AQAP remains a persistent threat to both the embattled Yemeni government and US interests worldwide. AQAP still controls remote rural areas in Yemen and operates training camps. The group’s master bomb maker, Ibrahim al Asiri, who has engineered several bombs which have evaded airport security, remains one of the most wanted jihadists on the planet.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 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
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr194

Incident date

March 28, 2019

Location

حدود البيضاء وشبوة, Border of Al Bayda and Shabwa, Al Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.449679, 45.807386 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Province/governorate level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US airstrike took place in Bayda governorate on March 28th 2019, a US Central Command spokesperson later told New America – one of six declared strikes that month.

One local source, Huna Al-Bayda, reported that “three senior al Qaeda leaders were killed in an [US] airstrike by a drone on the border between al-Bayda and Shabwa. The sources confirmed that among the three killed was a local leader named Mohammed al-Mantheri, the brother of al-Qaeda’s emir in al-Suma’a in al-Bayda province.”

Since there were no other known reported US strikes on March 28th, this event is treated as declared. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention an unspecified area being struck along the border of Al Bayda (البيضاء) and Shabwa (شبوه) governorates. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for this area are: 14.449679, 45.807386.

  • Reports of the incident mention an unspecified area being struck along the border of Al Bayda (البيضاء) and Shabwa (شبوه) governorates.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

Our Yemen strikes data has been updated for individualized dates after CENTCOM responded to an inquiry on the eight strikes in 2019. Strikes were as follows: 1/1, 1/21, 3/25, 3/25, 3/26, 3/28, 3/29, and 3/29. All but 1/1 in al Bayda'

Summary

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

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr039

Incident date

March 5–6, 2017

Location

وادي النسيل, Wadi Al Naseel, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.713333, 46.011944 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Several sources reported that a US drone strike targeted an alleged AQAP camp in Wadi al-Naseel, Wadea district of Abyan governorate, late on March 5th 2017, or possibly very early on march 6th. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

According to AFP, an “early dawn” US strike allegedly took place in the town of al-Naseel on Monday March 6th. Several local language social media sources further alleged that the strike was carried out by a drone, targeting an AQAP “command and personnel” camp.

However multiple tweets on the event were posted by Yemenis in the very early morning of March 6th, with the earliest timestamped 00.55am local time by @dblomasy_ah. Airwars has therefore dated this incident to March 5th-6th.

This strike allegedly took place amid the dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP in March 2017; on March 6th, the Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis announced that forty strikes had been conducted in Yemen over the previous five nights. On March 5th, AFP reported that AQAP militants had begun to withdraw from several areas in response to US strikes.

The incident was first reported on March 6, 2017 at 12:55 am by .

Summary

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

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The earliest known social media report on this event is timestamped at 11.55pm Yemen time, placing the incident on March 5th.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a camp being struck within Wadi Al Naseel (وادي النسيل) in the Al Wade’a (الوضيع) district. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the district are: 13.713333, 46.011944.

  • Reports of the incident mention a camp being struck within Wadi Al Naseel (وادي النسيل) in the Al Wade’a (الوضيع) district.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

Defense Department officials detected and tracked multiple missile launches out of North Korea today, four of which landed in the Sea of Japan, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters this morning.

Explosive ordnance disposal technicians assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, Platoon 501, prepare for an EOD mine-countermeasure exercise with members of a South Korean navy underwater dive team off the coast of Jinhae, South Korea, as part of exercise Foal Eagle 2017, March 3, 2017. Foal Eagle is an annual, bilateral training exercise designed to enhance the readiness of U.S. and South Korean forces and their ability to work together during a crisis. Navy Combat Camera photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alfred A. Coffield
Explosive ordnance disposal technicians assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, Platoon 501, prepare for an EOD mine-countermeasure exercise with members of a South Korean navy underwater dive team off the coast of Jinhae, South Korea, as part of exercise Foal Eagle 2017, March 3, 2017. Foal Eagle is an annual, bilateral training exercise designed to enhance the readiness of U.S. and South Korean forces and their ability to work together during a crisis. Navy Combat Camera photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alfred A. Coffield
Davis said the four medium-range ballistic missiles were launched from the northwest corner of North Korea, traveled over the Korean Peninsula and out into the sea, totaling about 1,000 kilometers in distance, or more than 620 miles.

Missiles Land Off Japan’s Coast

The missiles landed in the vicinity of Akita Prefecture off the coast of Japan near that nation’s exclusive economic zone, he said. The EEZ is defined as a sea zone prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea over which a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.

“The North American Aerospace Defense Command detected that the missiles from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America,” Davis said. “This [North Korean missile launch] is very similar in terms of the path and the distance of the three missiles that flew into Japan’s EEZ in September 2016.”

He added, “These launches, which coincide with the start of our annual defensive exercise, Foal Eagle, with the Republic of Korea’s military, are consistent with North Korea’s long history of provocative behavior, often timed to military exercises that we do with our ally,”

The United States stands with its allies “in the face of this very serious threat and are taking steps to enhance our ability to defend against North Korea’s ballistic missiles, such as the deployment of a [Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense] battery to South Korea, which will happen as soon as feasible,” Davis said.

U.S. Strikes AQAP in Yemen

Also overnight, the United States made an airstrike on Yemen’s Abyan Governorate against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula fighters, bringing to 40 the strikes there in the past five nights, Davis said.

Since the first airstrike against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen on Feb. 28, “We will continue to target [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] militants and facilities to disrupt the organization’s plot and protect American lives,” the captain said.

The strikes have been coordinated with and done in full partnership with the government of Yemen with the goal of denying al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorists’ freedom of movement within traditional safe havens, Davis emphasized.

The captain also confirmed the deaths of three al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in March 2 and 3 airstrikes in Yemen.

Usayd al Adani, whom Davis described as a longtime al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula explosives expert and facilitator who served as the organization’s emir, was killed in a U.S. airstrike March 2 within the Abyan Governorate. Killed with him was former Naval Air Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainee Yasir al Silmi.

Killed March 3 was al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula fighter and communications intermediary for Adani, Harithah al Waqri, Davis said.

“[Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] has taken advantage of ungoverned spaces in Yemen to plot, direct and inspire terror attacks against the United States and our allies,” he said. “And we will continue to work with the government of Yemen to defeat [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula].

Summary

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

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr076

Incident date

April 18–19, 2017

Location

بين حصن الجلال والشبوان, Between Husun Al Jalal and Al Shabwan, Ma'rib, Yemen

Airwars assessment

On April 24th 2017, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis stated that a US strike six days earlier had killed three al-Qaida militants in Marib governorate.  This confirmed earlier reports that a US drone strike had killed at least three alleged AQAP militants in Marib governorate, likely travelling on the road between Al-Shabwan and Husn Al-Jalal, overnight from April 18th to April 19th 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Though the US and some media reported that a single strike had taken place in Marib at that time, several sources reported two distinct strikes against alleged AQAP militants in Marib, killing seven militants in total. A third US strike also reportedly took place in Shabwa province around this time.

According to one Twitter source, @Demolinari, a drone strike killed three AQAP militants in a vehicle “between Al-Shabwan and Husn Al-Jalal”, while Najran Today noted that a strike had killed four in the Atran area.

Xinhua reported that a security official had detailed two distinct strikes, one against a car in Atran area, and another on a car “at a junction linking the areas of Al-Shabwan and Hoson Al-Jalal”.

Most sources mentioned a single US air strike, variously indicating that three or four AQAP militants had been killed, all in eastern Marib governorate.  According to AFP, local authorities were unable to identify those killed, in a strike that reportedly killed four, due to extensive burns to their bodies.  Sources also mentioned that one strike was located in Wadi Ubaidah, Atran area, between al-Hadshah farm and Jo Al-Naseem.

Given the proximity of the two alleged strikes, it is possible that reports refer to the same single event.  As such, Airwars has assessed the minimum killed in this strike as three, with a maximum of four, to reflect the possibility that different death toll reports reflect estimates of the same strike fatalities.  However, two event entries have been created, to reflect reports of distinct strikes.

Several sources named two of the dead as Salih al-Awlaki and Sa’id Baqadir. According to Alkhaleej Online, both were among four AQAP militants killed on the al-Hadshah farm, in Al-Hami town, Atran area.  However, other sources reported that al-Awlaki and Baqadir were, instead, killed in another overnight strike in Shabwa governorate (USYEMTr078).

Some sources claimed that the strike, or one of the two strikes, in al-Shabwan instead killed “four officers from the so-called National Army associated with Hadi”.

On April 24th 2017, the Pentagon announced that the US had carried out over eighty strikes in Yemen since February 28th 2017.

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

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

Sources (57) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck at the junction between Husun Al Jalal (حصون آل جلال) and Al Shabwan (ال شبوان), within the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area, east of Ma’rib (مريب) city. Research in the area shows three distinct locations, Husun Al Jalal at: 15.533332945, 45.299999935; Husun Al Jalal Al Jadidah (حصون الجلال الجديدة) at: 15.47834, 45.3635; Husun Al Jalal Al Qadimah (حصون آل جلال القديمة) at: 15.47163, 45.37. In addition, we have identified an Al Shabwan village at: 15.545353936, 45.400366939; and the Al Shabwan district for which the generic coordinates are: 15.634177, 45.343297. Without specific information as to which of these locations the reports are referring to, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for these locations are: 15.546247, 45.350407.

  • Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck at the junction between Husun Al Jalal (حصون آل جلال) and Al Shabwan (ال شبوان), within the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area, east of Ma’rib (مريب) city. Research in the area shows three distinct locations, Husun Al Jalal, Husun Al Jalal Al Jadidah, and Husun Al Jalal Al Qadimah. In addition, we have identified an Al Shabwan village and the Al Shabwan district. Without specific information as to which of these locations the reports are referring to, we were unable to verify the location further.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

Coalition and U.S. strikes continue to aid progress against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Iraq and Syria, and against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said here today.
Today is day 65 of the operation to liberate western Mosul in Iraq, he said, and yesterday Iraqi forces gained another 6 square kilometers along the forward line of troops on the axis of attack moving from the south toward Mosul’s old city.
Members of the Iraqi Emergency Response Division and the Federal Police maintained defensive positions along their eastern boundary and the Tigress River. The Counterterrorism Service also gained new ground and the Iraqi army’s 9th Division continued to defend positions west of Mosul. Clearing operations continue in eastern Mosul, Davis reported.
Supporting Iraq Operations
“The total number of munitions delivered since Oct. 17 in support of operations to liberate Mosul is 22,107,” he added.
The munitions destroyed total 259 vehicle-borne bombs, 638 buildings and facilities, 209 tunnels, 684 vehicles, 914 bunkers, 38 anti-aircraft artillery systems, 542 artillery and mortar systems, and 279 boats and barges, Davis said.
On April 23, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of 49 engagements against ISIS targets.
Near Rawah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS staging area, according to a statement by Operation Inherent Resolve officials.
Near Mosul, the officials said, six strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed 11 fighting positions, eight heavy machine guns, four rocket-propelled grenade systems, two ISIS-held buildings, an ISIS-held bridge and a vehicle-borne bomb; damaged 14 ISIS supply routes and a fighting position; and suppressed four rocket teams, three mortar teams and an ISIS tactical unit.
Operations in Syria
In the fight for Raqqa in Syria, the Pentagon spokesman said, Syrian Democratic Forces have liberated another 2 square kilometers in the Raqqa valley north and Tabqah areas, and in the Raqqa valley north on the western axis.
“The SDF is reporting large numbers of internally displaced persons fleeing ISIS-held areas around there,” Davis added, noting that ISIS does not control the Tabqah dam or the city but the city is almost entirely surrounded.
In Syria yesterday, according to an OIR statement, coalition military forces conducted 24 strikes consisting of 48 engagements against ISIS targets.
Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed three ISIS wellheads. Near Palmyra, two strikes destroyed four fighting positions and two ISIS shipping containers.
Near Raqqa, seven strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions, a heavy machine gun, a tactical vehicle and an ISIS wellhead. And near Tabqah, 12 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 12 fighting positions, a tactical vehicle, an ISIS vehicle, a heavy machine gun and a command-and-control node.
Yemen Operations
U.S. forces conducted a strike April 18 in the Ma’rib governorate against three al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorists, and another strike yesterday in the Shabwa governorate against eight al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorists, Davis said.
“Since February 28, we've conducted more than 80 precision strikes against AQAP militants, infrastructure, fighting positions and equipment, and we'll continue to conduct operations including strikes against known terrorists,” he added.
Davis said U.S. forces are conducting a series of sustained operations in Yemen against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula to degrade the group's ability to coordinate external terror attack operations and limit their ability to hold territory seized from the legitimate government of Yemen and use it as a safe haven for terror plotting.
Centcom is still assessing the results of the most recent strikes, he said.

Summary

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

Sources (57) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr182

Incident date

November 3–4, 2018

Location

شبام, Shibam, Hadhramout, Yemen

Geolocation

15.905503, 48.652311 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one drone strike, which one local-language Twitter source @A_GHALEB63, alleged to be American, reportedly targeted suspected AQAP militants in the Shibam district of Hadramout governorate, from November 3rd to November 4th 2018. No information was available on alleged casualties of the reported strikes.

Local residents told Aden News that they heard an explosion in the area, and sources suggested that a car was targeted. One source, @BaFana3, indicated that a series of explosions occurred before dawn, targeting “suspect characters, likely AQAP terrorists”.

In January 2019, US Central Command asserted that it carried out no actions at the time: “No strikes were conducted in Yemen in October, November, and December.” This may not however preclude a CIA or Saudi-led Coalition action.

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

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

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the Shibam (شبام) district, for which the generic coordinates are: 15.905503, 48.652311. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention the Shibam (شبام) district.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command conducted 36 total air strikes in Yemen

in 2018, targeting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS-Yemen.



CENTCOM conducted 10 air strikes in January targeting both AQAP and

ISIS-Yemen, six air strikes against AQAP in February, seven air strikes

against AQAP in March and four airstrikes against AQAP in April.



CENTCOM conducted two air strikes in May, two air strikes in June, two air

strikes in July, one air strike in August, and two air strikes in September,

all targeting AQAP terrorists.



No strikes were conducted in Yemen in October, November, and December.



The air strikes took place in Abyan, al Bayda, Hadramawt, Shabwah and Zamakh

Governorates.

Summary

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

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr225

Incident date

May 13, 2020

Location

لحزمة, Al Hazma, Ma'rib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.56667, 45.38333 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US drone strike reportedly killed at least one alleged AQAP militant, possibly a key communications officer, in Al Hazma, in the Wadi Obeida area of Marib governorate, on May 13th 2020. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

According to academic Fatima Alasrar (@YemeniFatima), the strike targeted a house, injuring Abdullah Al-Maliki, a communications officer for AQAP, while killing a second alleged militant from Hadramout, named as Sharfan. According to this source, Al-Maliki’s leg was later amputated in hospital, but he was subsequently released.

A “senior US official”, however, later claimed to the New York Times that a CIA drone strike had killed al-Maliki, stating that he was “an important, emerging communications specialist, pushing out Al Qaeda’s message not just in Yemen but globally”. Likewise, “tribal sources” told Omana that a prominent “Saudi” AQAP leader had been killed in the strike. Given these varying reports, Airwars has assessed that, at minimum, one militant was reportedly killed, with a maximum of two. Likewise, a maximum of one militant was reportedly injured.

In a May 18th press conference, the US Department of Justice confirmed that “a counterterrorism operation targeting AQAP operative Abdullah al-Maliki… was recently conducted in Yemen”. Given that no other strikes were alleged to have targeted Al-Maliki, this event is treated as declared. US Central Command told Airwars that no US military strikes were conducted in Yemen during May 2020, effectively confirming that this was a CIA strike.

In that press conference, US Attorney General William P. Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray indicated that information leading to the strike had been acquired from the phones of Mohammed Saeed Al-Shamrani, who had murdered three US sailors in a December 6th 2019 Pensacola shooting. Al-Maliki and Al-Shamrani had allegedly been in direct contact while the latter was in the US.

As the New York Times noted: “The FBI found that the gunman, Second Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a Saudi Air Force cadet training with the American military in Pensacola, had communicated with leaders of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and had joined the Saudi military to carry out a ‘special operation,’ Attorney General William P. Barr said at a news conference… The evidence found on Mr. Alshamrani’s phone showed that the Pensacola attack was ‘the brutal culmination of years of planning and preparation’.”

“The al-Maliki group has been seriously degraded and I’m very pleased with the results,” Barr said, regarding the strike. A report by SITE Intelligence identified Al-Maliki with “an official AQAP media channel”, named “Abdullah al-Mujahid”.

SITE Intelligence executive director Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) and academic Dr Elisabeth Kendall (@Dr_E_Kendall_) both noted that AQAP media output had severely declined since the strike. Since May 13th, online distribution of a lecture series by AQAP leader Khalid Batarfi had ceased, and the group later failed to issue a standard Eid greeting.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (15) [ collapse]

  • One source, @YemeniFatima, indicated that Al-Maliki survived the strike, but had his leg amputated in hospital (@YemeniFatima, May 14th 2020)
  • Sources indicated that AQAP media output declined severely in the aftermath of the strike (@Rita_Katz, May 15th 2020)
  • SITE Intelligence identified Al-Maliki with an AQAP media feed, "Abdullah al-Mujahid" (SITE Intelligence, May 18th 2020)
  • The Pensacola shooter, Muhammad al-Shamrani, was allegedly in contact with Al-Maliki before the attack (SITE Intelligence, May 18th 2020)
  • In a press conference, the US Department of Justice indicated that information leading to the strike against Al-Maliki was reportedly obtained from obtained from Al-Shamrani's phones (Daily Mail, May 19th 2020)
  • Pensacola shooter, Mohammed Al-Shamrani (Daily Mail, May 19th 2020)
  • Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham was one of three US personnel killed in the Pensacola shooting (Daily Mail, May 19th 2020)
  • Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson was one of three US personnel killed in the Pensacola shooting (Daily Mail, May 19th 2020)
  • Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters was one of three US personnel killed in the Pensacola shooting (Daily Mail, May 19th 2020)
  • AQAP claimed responsibility for the December 2019 Pensacola shooting in February 2020 (Daily Mail, May 19th 2020)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Hazma (لحزمة), allegedly immediately north-east of the city of Ma’rib (مأرب), within the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area. The generic coordinates for Al Hazma are: 15.56667, 45.38333. It is important to note the existence of another Al Hazma, south-east of Ma’rib city, at these coordinates: 15.44646, 45.39902. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Hazma (لحزمة), allegedly immediately north-east of the city of Ma’rib (مأرب), within the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area. It is important to note the existence of another Al Hazma, south-east of Ma’rib city.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

The evidence derived from Alshamrani’s unlocked phones has already proven useful in protecting the American people. In particular, a counterterrorism operation targeting AQAP operative Abdullah al-Maliki, one of Alshamrani’s overseas associates, was recently conducted in Yemen.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–2
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (24) [ collapse]