US Forces in Yemen

US Forces in Yemen

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

Belligerent
US Forces
Country
Yemen
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Strike Status
Strike Type
Infrastructure
text search
382 Results
sort by:
Sort by:
Incident date
Civilian deaths alleged
Civilian deaths confirmed by belligerent

Incident Code

USYEMTr002

Incident date

January 21, 2017

Location

مديرية الصومعة, Al Sama'a, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.166667, 45.831111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

There were some unconfirmed reports of a January 21st US drone strike in Sama’a, al-Bayda province, killing up to three alleged AQAP militants. The strike was reported to have occurred in the same general area as a second, confirmed strike on the same day.

All but one source said that three militants had died in the attack – with most sources also describing a pickup truck as having been targeted. SMA News reported only that three ‘people’ had died in the attack – noting that it did not have additional details on their identities at the time.

Al-Masdar Online, which indicated that the strike took place in the Al-Fara’a area of Sama’a, named the “suspected” militants killed as Mithaq Al-Adani, Jarrah Al-San’ani and Ammar Al-Hadi.

AFP instead reported on January 22nd that anonymous security officials said that a drone strike had taken place against a motorcycle, the second of two attacks the previous day.  Some local sources similarly reported that a strike had taken place against a motorcycle, while others reported that a strike had taken place against a vehicle. US Central Command later acknowledged only one strike on the 21st.

Due to the geographical proximity of this reported strike to others during the same time period, it is possible that some or all of these reports instead refer to one or more other listed drone strikes from the 20th-22nd January 2017. However it also remains possible that this was an undeclared CIA action.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

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)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–4

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma’a (مديرية الصومعة), for which the generic coordinates are: 14.166667, 45.831111. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma’a (مديرية الصومعة).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

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)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–4

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr001

Incident date

January 20, 2017

Location

مديرية الصومعة, Al Suma'a, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.238230, 45.833603 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (other) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On January 25th 2017, a US spokesperson confirmed that a strike took place in al-Bayda governorate on January 20th, killing one AQAP operative.  This confirmed reports that a US drone strike in al-Suma’a district, Bayda governorate, killed at least one alleged AQAP militant on that afternoon. There were no known reports of civilian harm.  January 20th 2017 marked the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency.

Several reports, from sources including @demolinari and Nashwa News, named the alleged AQAP member killed as “leader” Abu Anas Al-Ibbi, who AFP reported to be a “local military instructor” for AQAP.  Others, including Sky News Arabia, described the person killed as a “moderate” leader in AQAP.

Some sources, however, later suggested that Al-Ibbi was killed in a further strike on January 21st 2020.  Lime Charlie News indicated that Al-Ibbi was killed on January 21st, but also described the person killed in the strike a day prior as “a militia organizer and trainer of militia members”, matching AFP’s description of Al-Ibbi as an “instructor”.  According to Lima Charlie News, the “high value target” killed on January 20th resided in a small building behind a Madressa, and the target’s whereabouts was confirmed by “assets” on the ground prior to the strike.

An AQAP statement later confirmed that “brother jihadist” Abu Anas Al-Ibbi had been killed by a US drone strike on the afternoon of January 20th.  Twitter sources, including @demolinari and @yemencurrent, indicated that the strike targeted a car in the area, and the latter specified that it took place at around 11:50 AM.

On January 23rd 2017, a US military spokesperson stated that three airstrikes had targeted AQAP militants in al-Bayda governorate from the 20th to the 22nd, killing five.

Although the strike occurred on the same day as the inauguration of the US president, the Washington Post reported Pentagon spokesperson Navy Captain Jeff Davis as saying that they (three strikes confirmed by the US) did not require approval by recently appointed Defense Secretary James Mattis or of new President Donald Trump.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

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

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Alleged location of January 20th strike
  • A statement from a pro-AQAP media outlet stated that Al-Ibbi had been killed by a US drone strike on the afternoon of January 20th 2017 (@TerrorMonitorAR, January 21st 2017)

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma’a (مديرية الصومعة). Yemen Current (@yemencurrent) alleged that the exact coordinates for this incident are: 14.238230, 45.833603, we can confirm that this location is within the district mentioned, however, due to limited information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma'a (مديرية الصومعة).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • The alleged exact location of the strike according to one source.

    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 U.S. military conducted strikes on al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in central Yemen on Jan. 20, 21 and 22.

On Jan. 20, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate.

On Jan. 21, one strike killed three AQAP operatives in the al-Baydah Governorate.

On Jan. 22, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate.

"Strikes against al-Qa'ida operatives in Yemen put consistent pressure on the terrorist network and prevent them from plotting and executing attacks against the U.S. and our allies," said Army Maj. Josh T. Jacques, a U.S. Central Command spokesman. "AQAP remains a significant threat to the region, the United States, and beyond."

The CENTCOM mission is to direct and enable military operations and activities with allies and partners to increase regional security and stability in support of enduring U.S. interests.

"U.S. Central Command remains committed to defeating AQAP and denying it safe havens in Yemen," Jacques 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
    1

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM144-C

Incident date

January 19, 2013

Location

وادي عبيدة, Wadi Obeida, Marib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.515556, 45.395278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A suspected US drone strike in Wadi Obeida, Ma’rib governorate on January 19th 2013 between 11 o’clock at night and midnight killed up to four civilians, with conflicting reports that in fact up to six Al Qaeda militants were killed. According to Mareb Press, the strike hit and destroyed a vehicle that Al Qaeda seized during clashes with the Yemeni army in the previous month. The air raid was the last of a series of three separate strikes in the same area that day.

AFP initially reported that the strike killed four people from the ‘al Haytak clan, part of the Abida tribe’ without specifying if they were al Qaeda militants or civilians. However the agency subsequently reported five alleged al Qaeda militants perished in the strike, including Hamad Hassan Ghreib (aka Amhed Bin Hassan Ali Gahreib). According to a ‘local source’ his brother Ali Bin Hassan Bin Ghurayib was a non-combatant who was killed, along with a group of militants, in a drone strike in August 2012. Angry tribesmen blocked the main road from Marib to Sanaa in protest the morning after the strike.

The only other source to mention civilian casualties was a Twitter account (Kevin Goztola), reported that four civilians were killed in US drone strikes “yesterday” (posted on January 21, 2023 local time). It is unclear which of the strikes between January 19-20 the tweet is referring to, and have therefore been recorded in this incident.  No other sources mention civilian casualties resulting from this strike. Mareb Press, Almanar, and Almasdar Online corroborated the number of five deaths as well as the killing of Hamad Hassan Ghreib. However, Almasdar Online and Mareb Press did not specify whether the four other victims were militants, saying that the identities are unknown “as a result of the charred corpses.” In contrast, Almanar claimed that two of the passengers were Saudi militants while the majority of sources attribute the two Saudi nationals to another strike earlier that day. Xinhua and Twitter account @news_yemen reported the killing of a total of six people. Xinhua thereby claimed that all six were Al Qaeda operatives.

Local sources referred to the drone strikes as being carried out by the US. The Yemen defence ministry reportedly confirmed the strikes hit Mareb province but would not confirm if the Yemen Air Force or US forces carried out the attacks. The Yemen Air Force has been shown to lack the technical capacity to launch precision strikes, or fly at night.

The incident occured between 11:00 pm and 12:00 am local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    4–6

Sources (51) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area, east of Mar’ib (مأرب) city. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Wadi Obeida are: 15.515556, 45.395278.

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
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    4–6

Sources (51) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM143-B

Incident date

January 19, 2013

Location

وادي عبيدة, Wadi Abida, Marib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.515556, 45.395278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On January 19th 2013, before 11pm, the second of three alleged US drone strikes hit the  Al Shabwan Wadi Abidah region of the Marib governorate, killing as many as three militants.

Marib Press, Yemen Observer, and Enduring American World View corroborated that one of the reported militants killed was Ismaeel Bin Saeed Bin Jameel and referred to Ismaeel as a local AQAP chief, while Al Masdar Online reported that Ismaeel belonged to the valley tribes and that his brother, a leader in Al Qaeda, Ali Saeed Jamil, was also killed in clashes between Government forces and Al Qaeda fighters in July 2011 in Abyan Governorate. However, local man Raed Fad Abdullah said he was not a senior militant.

Long War Journal linked the other two bodies to two Saudi nationals called Abu Ali Abdullah al-Suweed and Abu al-Zubeir al-Qassimi as per a “Jihadist biography”.AQAP declared a low level Saudi fighter was killed in a US strike in Marib. Abdullah al Ali al Suweed was killed ‘with a group of his brothers in the month of Safar 1434’. According to the Long War Journal this corresponds to December 2012 to January 2013.

AQAP also announced the death of a senior militant from Saudi Arabia. Abu al Zubeir al Qassimi was an inmate in the al Safra prison in Saudi Arabia before moving to Yemen for training. He commanded militants in Abyan province before taking command of fighters in Marib province. According to the Long War Journal al Qassimi was killed in Abyan province in an unspecified strike. However SITE Intelligence in a March 6 post said he died in Marib on an unspecified date (link unavailable). SITE also gave al Qassimi’s alias as Walid al Harbi. A Walid Jarbou’ Al-Harbi – a failed student of Qassim University – was reportedly arrested in connection to an April 2005 gun battle with Saudi security forces. He was jailed for over a year before fleeing to Yemen in 2009. He has been listed as a wanted terrorist by the Saudi ministry of interior.

Other sources claimed that the two other bodies could not be identified as they were charred.

The suspected AQAP militants were allegedly traveling in a Vitara car between 2 km (Marib press) and 8 km in the Ghodaigah area (Yemen Observer) away from the first strike in Al-Masil which hit an orange farm. Xinhua however reported that the same drone fired a second strike and killed two militants inspecting the car that was hit by the first strike. A witness quoted in multiple news sources said that the car was engulfed in flames. Yemen Observer referenced an earlier strike that missed the car and allowed the passengers to flee.

Local sources referred to the drone strikes as being carried out by the US. The Yemen defence ministry reportedly confirmed the strikes hit Mareb province but would not confirm if the Yemen Air Force or US forces carried out the attacks. The Yemen Air Force has been shown to lack the technical capacity to launch precision strikes, or fly at night.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely 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)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–3

Sources (57) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Two Saudi operatives, Abdullah al Ali al Suweed (left) and Abu al Zubeir al Qassimi (right), died in suspected U.S drone attacks on Wadi Abadi, January 19th (via Long War Journal)
  • A Saudi man, Walid Jarbou Eid Al-Jaleedi Al-Harbi, was documented as killed in suspected U.S drone strikes on Wadi Abadi January 19th. The Saudi Gazette alleged he was part of a terrorist network. (via Saudi Ministry of Interior)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area, east of Mar’ib (مأرب) city. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Wadi Obeida are: 15.515556, 45.395278.

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
    Unknown
  • 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
    2–3

Sources (57) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM142-N

Incident date

January 19, 2013

Location

وادي عبيدة, Wadi Abida, Marib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.515556, 45.395278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On January 19th 2013, between 7 and 10:30 pm, the first of three alleged US drone strikes in the Wadi Abidah region in al-Hatik in Marib struck an orange farm in the populated Al-Masil area in Al Dsaleel, Ra’ed Fadi Abdullah. There were no reported casualties, civilian or militant but according to eyewitnesses, the strike damaged neighbouring houses and caused panic in the population.

A tribal source speaking to Xinhua claimed that a vehicle parked in the orchard was the intended target of the strike but missed, and Mareb Press identified the car as being a Vitara car with suspected Al Qaeda militants.

Al Masdar Online reported that the strike caused damage to neighboring houses and caused great panic among the local populations, who blocked the Sanaa-Marib line to protest the strikes which were “shaking their homes and frightening the children”.

An official at the Criminal Investigation Unit in Marib told Xinhua the strike hit at 10.30pm while Yemen Observer referred to the strike as occurring at 7pm.

Local sources referred to the drone strikes as being carried out by the US. The Yemen defence ministry reportedly confirmed the strikes hit Mareb province but would not confirm if the Yemen Air Force or US forces carried out the attacks. The Yemen Air Force has been shown to lack the technical capacity to launch precision strikes, or fly at night.

This incident was identified by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and has been included in Airwars’ database even though no casualties are mentioned.

The incident occured between 7:00 pm and 10:30 pm local time.

Summary

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

Sources (57) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area, east of Mar’ib (مأرب) city. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Wadi Obeida are: 15.515556, 45.395278.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Summary

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

Sources (57) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM141-B

Incident date

January 4, 2013

Location

رداع, Rada'a, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.415088, 44.840937 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On January 3rd 2013, at least three Al Qaeda militants were allegedly killed by a US or Yemeni airstrike in a “mountainous area” near Rada’a. There are currently no known reports of civilian harm.

Among those who died was Muqbel Abbad Al Zobah, nicknamed Abu Shebab, the news source Akhbar Alyom reported. This was corroborated amongst others by Al Jazeera English, AFP, and Xinhua. He was said to have been a 35 years old man from a nearby village in the Qifah area. Local sources described Al Zobah as a leading Al Qaeda figure and according to AFP, he was the brother-in-law of Tareq al Dhahab “who led Al Qaeda fighters in a brief January 2012 raid on Rada’a” and was killed in February 2012. The second militant was Musaed al Zubairi, a 37 years old man from the Ma’rib governorate. He has been wanted by the Yemeni security services. While most sources reported that the third militant killed in the strike could not be identified, Twitter user @BaFana3 claimed on the day of the attack that Sahr Qaid Al Dhahab was among the dead.

The militants were hit travelling in their car in the Qifah district of Rada’a and were killed on the spot, Akhbar Alyom reported. A resident told Reuters that “the car […] was completely destroyed and their bodies were unrecognisable.”

The attack was the fifth strike to hit southern Yemen within ten days, The Times reported. The strikes were believed to have targeted Abdulraouf al Dahab, who was “instrumental in Al Qaeda’s takeover of Rada’a last year.”

The following day, Reuters reported that local tribesmen demonstrated in Rada’a against US drone strikes. One protester told the news agency that “seven innocent civilians” had been killed in the recently intensified air campaign. Another said: “If the [Yemeni] authorities don’t stop the American attacks then we will occupy the government institutions in the town.”

According to Reuters, a government official said that “the attack was by a Yemeni aircraft.” However, most local accounts of the incident made the US responsible for the raid. Residents suspected that the strike came from an unmanned aircraft. “We have noticed a drone flying over for the past few days,” they told Reuters.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (49) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention that the strike targeted a vehicle in or near the town of Rada’a (رداع). One source reported that the strike took place in a mountainous area of the town, however, as Rada’a is surrounded by mountains, it could not be determined what area this refers to. The coordinates for the town of Rada’a (رداع) are: 14.415088, 44.840937. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the precise location of the strike.

  • The town Rada’a (رداع), surrounded by mountains

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Yemeni Air Force Assessment:

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

Summary

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

Sources (49) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM139-B

Incident date

December 29, 2012

Location

سائلة الجرّاح, Saila valley/Sa'ilat al Jarrah, Bayda', Yemen

Geolocation

14.568993, 44.751559 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Alleged US missiles hit a 2006 saloon Land Cruiser traveling on the outskirts of al-Manaseh village on December 29, 2012, near Radda, in the fourth strike in a week. At least three alleged al Qaeda members died and two others were injured. There are currently no known reports of civilian harm.

The three victims reportedly included Saleh Mohammed al Ameri, 33 years old and described by unnamed local officials as a senior Al Qaeda operative. The two other alleged  Al Qaeda members killed include Salem Ali Abdullah Al-Ameri, 18 years old, and Abdul Wahid Matlab Al-Ameri, 22 years old

“Their bodies were charred and the car was completely obliterated,” a tribesman told Reuters. “Their bodies were not recognizable, but the government says they’re from Al Qaeda.”

AFP reported two other alleged Al Qaeda members were injured, yet their identities are not disclosed.

Local outlet Yemen Observer reported four Al Qaeda members were killed, two of whom came from Abyan province and one of whom came from Marib. The Yemen Observer added that the Al Qaeda militants were seen earlier in Khabza area in a car driving towards al-Manasih village.

AP added that “Dozens of local al-Qaida-linked fighters protested the drone strikes after traditional Islamic Friday prayers.”

The majority of sources attributed the incident to a US drone, while at least one source specified that the attack was carried out by a CIA drone.

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
    3–4
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (30) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention that the strike targeted a vehicle in the Al Sailah valley, between the villages Khabza/Khubza (خبزة) (coordinates: 14.563782, 44.797021) and Al Manaseh (المناسح) (coordinates: 14.579762, 44.750219), near the town Rada’a (رداع) (coordinates: 14.415088, 44.840937). This most likely refers to the area around the village Sa’ilat al Jarrah (سائلة الجرّاح), for which the coordinates are: 14.568993, 44.751559. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the precise location of the strike.

  • Sa'ilat al Jarrah (سائلة الجرّاح) between Manaseh (المناسح) and Khabza/Khubza (خبزة)

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Sa'ilat al Jarrah (سائلة الجرّاح) between Manaseh (المناسح) and Khabza/Khubza (خبزة), near the town Rada’a (رداع)

    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
    3–4
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (30) [ 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]