US Forces in Yemen

US Forces in Yemen

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

Belligerent
US Forces
Country
Yemen
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Incident Code

USYEM133-C

Incident date

October 28, 2012

Location

وادي آل أبو جبارة, Wadi Al Abu Jabarah, Sa'ada, Yemen

Geolocation

17.143370, 44.174108 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the 28th October 2012 at 10am in the Wadi al Abu Jabara area in Saada Governorate, northern Yemen, a suspected US drone conducted three airstrikes against two houses in the area, injuring two civilians, a woman and her son, and killing between three and four alleged Al Qaeda militants and injuring one, according to local and international media. The Long War Journal reported that unmanned Predators of Reapers carried out the attack, firing several missiles, which only the US had the capability to do at the time.

The Yemeni Defence Ministry quoted the Governor of Saada, Faris Manna, as saying that the raid killed three militants, two of whom hold Saudi nationality and the third Yemeni. Faris Manna also said that “The two Saudis gave money to Al Qaeda to finance terrorist operations” in Yemen and added “that a local leader of the militant network, Omar Saleh al-Tiss, was seriously wounded in a raid on the way to his son’s wedding.” Xinhua news also reported a local official saying that Omar Saleh al-Tiss had been injured in the attack and that “A woman and her son were among the injured”. United States News also reported that a woman and her son had been injured in the attack.

The BBC quoted Yemeni tribal sources saying that: “Three suspected Al Qaeda militants were killed in three separate raids carried out by drones in Saada governorate,” against Wadi al Abu Jabara, an Al Qaeda stronghold. AFP and French Press received the same information from tribal sources. A local source said that the strike took place at 10am when people were arriving for a wedding.

Reuters referenced some reports saying that “Hadi al-Tais, a local Al Qaeda commander, had been targeted in the attack, but there was no confirmation that he was among the dead”.

The incident occured at 10:00:00 local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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
    3–4
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (44) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Damage caused by alleged US airstrikes on October 28, 2012. (Image posted by akhbarelyom)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention that the strike targeted two houses (one of which was owned by Omar Saleh Al Tais) in the Wadi Al Abu Jabarah ( وادي آل أبو جبارة) area, in Sa’ada governorate. The generic coordinates for the Abu Jabarah valley are: 17.143370, 44.174108, it is unclear where in the valley the strike took place. The coordinates for the settlement called Abu Jabarah are: 17.154867, 44.198050. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Wadi Al Abu Jabarah ( وادي آل أبو جبارة)

    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
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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
    3–4
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (44) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr124-C

Incident date

December 14–15, 2017

Location

يكلا‎, Yakla, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.598056, 45.060000 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two women, and possibly two children, all from the same family, were reportedly killed by a US drone strike on a house in Yakla, in the Wald Rabi area of Bayda governorate, on the evening of December 15th 2017.

Mwatana later named the two women victims as “Hajera Ahmed Saleh Al Taisi, about 33 years old, and Dhabia Ahmad Al Taisi, about 63 years old. Hajera was pregnant at the time of her death.”

On January 10th 2018, a US Central Command statement confirmed that a strike took place in Bayda on December 15th, and indicated that it had resulted in the death of AQAP “external operations facilitator” Miqdad al-Sana’ani. It made no mention of civilian harm.

Two sources, Yemen Shabab and @marib_alward, stated that at least two women were killed, and other civilians injured, in the attack. As the former noted [translation]: “Private local sources told Yemen Shabab Net, that at least two women were killed about half an hour previous to now, in an American drone airstrike in the area of ​​Yakla, in the Directorate of Ould Rabee, affiliated to Qayfah, in Al Bayda Governorate. The sources confirmed that the raid targeted a house inhabited by two civilians in the area, which resulted in the death of two women and the injury of others, whose identity and number have not been known until now.”

Reprieve shared their findings on this event with Airwars, suggesting that two women were killed alongside a male doctor affiliated with AQAP. Reprieve suggested that this doctor was potentially Miqdad al-Sana’ani.

Other local-language Twitter sources, including @SUHFNET and @ataqpress, reported that a family of three women and two children were killed.

Bar Reprieve, no known sources corroborated CENTCOM’s claim that Miqdad al-Sana’ani, an alleged militant, was killed in the strike. However several sources mentioned that the identity of some victims was unknown. Since there were no other known reports of a US strike on December 15th, this event is treated as declared.

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 its March 2021 report, Death Falling From The Sky, the Yemeni human rights group said that two named women had died in the attack – one of them pregnant. According to the report, “On the day of the strike, Dhabia was visiting Hajera’s home, about 90 meters from Dhabia’s own small house. At about 6:00 p.m., as Dhabia was leaving the house, the strike occurred. The strike hit right next to the entrance of the house, killing Dhabia, who was standing by the door. Hajera was in her kitchen. She was hit by shrapnel in the neck, which ripped through her back. The surrounding homes suffered varying degrees of damage from the strike.”

The report went on to note: “After the strike, people rushed to the house to help. Dhabia’s son, about 35 years old, was in his house nearby and rushed to the site. His mother was dead. He tried to gather her remains. Hajera’s husband, who was in another part of the house at the time of the strike, also rushed to help, discovering his wife gravely wounded. He tried to move Hajera to the hospital, but she died on the way. Her young son, about nine-years-old, was with her. Her husband told Mwatana, ‘My wife was expecting a child; the shrapnel killed her and her fetus … Today, the drone hit us. The life of people and their movements are almost paralyzed by fear.’”

The incident occured at approximately 7:45 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Hajera Ahmed Saleh Al Taisi
33 years old female pregnant killed
Dhabia Ahmad Al Taisi
63 years old female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • (0–2 children2–3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Yakla (يكلا‎), within the Wald Rabi district (بمديرية ولد ربيع). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Yakla are: 14.598056, 45.060000.

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
Official source

U.S. air strikes kill senior AQAP militants
TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. air strikes in Yemen recently resulted in the death of key Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders.

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

External operations facilitator Miqdad al Sana’ani was killed in an air strike Dec. 15 in al-Bayda governorate.

Habib al-Sana’ani, AQAP deputy arms facilitator, who was an intermediary with ties to senior AQAP leadership and was responsible for facilitating the movement of weapons, explosives and finances into northern Marib and al-Bayda governorates, was killed in an airstrike Dec. 19 in Marib governorate.

Abu Umar al-Sana’ani, an AQAP Dawah committee member, was killed in an air strike Nov. 20 in al-Bayda governorate.
-30-

Follow CENTCOM on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • (0–2 children2–3 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM103-N

Incident date

June 14, 2012

Location

عزان, Azzan, Shabwa, Yemen

Geolocation

14.3267791, 47.4475743 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Yemen Times reported a US drone strike hit Azzan in Shabwa province, described as AQAP’s “last stronghold” in the province, on June 14, 2012.

The reporter Ali Saeed subsequently told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism via email that the strike came on Thursday evening.

Casualty figures were unknown he added, because “the army has not yet entered the area”, his military source in Shabwa told him.

There are currently no known reports of civilian harm.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Azzan (عزان), for which the generic coordinates are: 14.3267791, 47.4475743. 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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr011

Incident date

March 2, 2017

Location

الصعيد, Al Said, Shabwa, Yemen

Geolocation

14.329436, 46.873768 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Multiple sources alleged that four al-Qaeda militants were killed in a US drone strike in al-Saeed, Shabwa province.

Al Arabi for example reported that a car was targeted in Shabwa at dawn on March 2nd 2017, as it was travelling “towards the road linking the towns of Ahur and Shakra”.  There were no known reports of civilian harm.

A tribal source told Al-Ain that the dead were named “Awad Ali Barasin, Saleh Ali Nasser Al-Ateeqi, Abu Bakr Barasin, and Awad Muhammad Barasin”.

This strike allegedly took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP in March 2017. On March 2nd, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davies announced “more than 20 strikes targeted AQAP militants, equipment and infrastructure in the Yemeni governorates of Abyan, Al Bayda and Shabwah” early that morning.

On March 3rd, the Associated Press reported that Yemeni officials and residents said the US had conducted “dozens of airstrikes on al-Qaida targets in Yemen overnight and in the past 48 hours in one of the lengthiest, sustained operations inside this conflict-torn Arab country”.  A US military intelligence source told NBC News that the strikes were “part of ‘new directives’ to aggressively pursue the Dhahab and Qayfa clans”.

Estimates of the overall total death toll on March 2nd varied. On March 3rd, Reuters reported that Thursday’s strikes had left “at least nine” dead, while officials speaking with the Associated Press said that seven alleged militants had been killed.

The incident occured around dawn.

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
    4

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • One source, Al-Ain, included this image, though it was unclear if it showed a person related to the reported strike (Al-Ain, March 2nd 2017)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the countryside surrounding the town of Al Said (الصعيد), on a road leading to the highway between Ahwar (أحور) and Shorqa (شقرة). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Al Said are: 14.329436, 46.873768

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

U.S. forces conducted a series of precision strikes in Yemen against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, in the early morning of March 2 (Yemen time). More than 20 strikes targeted AQAP militants, equipment and infrastructure in the Yemeni governorates of Abyan, Al Bayda and Shabwah.

The strikes were conducted in partnership with the Government of Yemen, and were coordinated with President Hadi. The Government of Yemen is a valuable counter-terrorism partner, and we support its efforts to bring stability to the region by fighting known terrorist organizations like AQAP.

The strikes will degrade the AQAP's ability to coordinate external terror attacks and limit their ability to use territory seized from the legitimate government of Yemen as a safe space for terror plotting. Targets of the strikes included militants, equipment, infrastructure, heavy weapons systems and fighting positions.

AQAP has taken advantage of ungoverned spaces in Yemen to plot, direct, and inspire terror attacks against the United States and our allies. U.S. forces will continue to work with the Government of Yemen to defeat AQAP and deny it the ability to operate in Yemen.

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
    4

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr034-C

Incident date

March 4, 2017

Location

الرحبة, Al Rahba near Moujan village, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.432500, 46.478333 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Multiple sources reported that a US drone strike killed two alleged AQAP militants travelling on a motorbike in the outskirts of Ahwar, Abyan governorate, on the evening of March 4th 2017. While there were no known initial reports of civilian harm, the Yemeni human rights group Mwatana later said that two civilian honey traders were killed in the attack.

According to Al Khabar Now, local sources reported that the strike took place in the evening, in the al-Rahba area. Reuters cited tribal sources and residents as having reported the strike, while Al-Jazeera and AFP also cited security officials.

According to Rai Al-Youm, the strike targeted the motorcycle on the road linking Khabr Maraqisha and Ahwar.  A local source told the outlet that the targeted militants were moving location in the wake of US strikes in the area over the prior days.

One Twitter source, @DonKlericuzio, tweeted on March 6th that a CIA strike in Zinjibar had killed two alleged AQAP militants. Given that no other known sources reported a unique strike at that time, and given similarities in reported location and casualties, this likely constitutes a late report of this alleged event.

This reported action took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP in March 2017.  A US military intelligence source told NBC News that the strikes beginning March 2nd were “part of ‘new directives’ to aggressively pursue the Dhahab and Qayfa clans”.

In March 2021, Mwatana published a comprehensive review of the case, concluding that the two victims were in fact civilian bee keepers who it named as Salem Ahmed Saleh Bileidi, 34 years old, and his nephew, Hadi Ali Ahmed Bileidi, 28 years old. It reached this conclusion after “Mwatana visited the site on May 8, 2017 and conducted in-depth interviews with five people, including four relatives of the men killed and one resident of their village. In some cases, Mwatana conducted follow-up interviews with these people to gather further information. Mwatana also collected documents related to the two men, including their death certificates, identification cards and a medical report indicating their bodies had been received at a hospital after the strike.”

The attack which killed the men reportedly took place at around 5.30pm local time, at a location on a main road about 22 kilometres from Moujan village. The bodies of the two men were taken to Al Khubar hospital, where a certificate records their deaths and that “their bodies were torn apart due to the faulty aerial bombing.”

Salem’s wife, at the time pregnant, told Mwatana: ““I was crying hysterically, and I broke down. Hadi was so thrilled with my pregnancy.” Hadi’s father (and Salem’s brother) said, “We tried more than once to make our voice heard, saying that there are no terrorists in our village and asking them [the US] to come and check… but nobody wanted to hear us. I hope that our voices will be heard. We have lost a lot and do not want to lose more.”

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

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Salem Ahmed Saleh Bileidi
34 years old male Uncle of Hadi killed
Hadi Ali Ahmed Bileidi
28 years old male Nephew of Salem killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • 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 attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–2

Sources (37) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Impact of the strike on the asphalt road. Photo taken by a Mwatana researcher.
  • Medical report issued on March 15, 2017 noting that the bodies of the two men were received at Al Khubar Hospital and that the men were dead on arrival and their bodies torn apart as a result of ‘faulty aerial bombing’ (via Mwatana)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Al Rahba (الرحبة) area, on the outskirts of the village of Ahwar (أحور). Some sources suggest the generic coordinates for this area are: 13.432500, 46.478333. However, 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

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, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • 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 attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–2

Sources (37) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr071

Incident date

April 7, 2017

Location

مديرية الصومعة, Al Sawma'ah District, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.207644, 45.815614 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US drone strike reportedly killed two alleged AQAP militants in Al Sawma’ah district, Bayda governorate, on the evening of April 7th 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Several sources – for example Yemen Live News – reported that the alleged militants were killed while travelling on a motorbike in the area. Local security sources told AFP that the strike took place in the evening on April 7th; most sources, though posted on April 8th, did not specify a date.

However, one source, @demolinari, indicated that a strike in the area, which reportedly killed two militants, took place on the afternoon of April 8th. A separate single-source event has been created to account for the possibility that this constituted a unique event.

The incident occured in the evening.

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

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck within the Al Sawma’ah district (مديرية الصومعة), for which due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Al Sawma’ah district are: 14.207644, 45.815614.

  • Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck within the Al Sawma’ah district (مديرية الصومعة).

    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
    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

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr170

Incident date

June 28, 2018

Location

بئر شودقة, Bi'ir Shoudqa, Ma'rib, Yemen

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

A US drone strike targeted alleged AQAP militants in Bi’ir Shoudqa, Wadi Obeida area of Marib governorate, on June 28th 2018, a single source (@huodhoud) claimed.

At around the same time, Yemeni sources began reporting that an alleged AQAP jurist, Abu Bihr Mohammed Darama, was killed by a US drone strike. It is unlikely Darama’s death in Marib had resulted from an earlier confirmed US drone strike on June 23rd, since they took place in either Shabwah, Hadramawt or Al-Bayda governorate.

Dr Elisabeth Kendall (@Dr_E_Kendall) tweeted that Daram frequently wrote for Al Qaeda’s newspaper al-Masra, but rarely in formal AQAP channels. Further sources, such as @IbnSiqilli, described Darama as a judge in Abyan. None described him as a combatant.

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
  • (1 other protected person)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Abu Bishr Muhammad Darama, an alleged AQAP jurist, was reportedly killed by a US drone strike, though it the exact circumstances and timing of the strike were unclear (@Dr_E_Kendall, June 28th 2018)
  • No sources explicitly indicated that Darama was a combatant (SITE Intel Group, June 28th 2018)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the Bi’ir Shoudqa (بئر شودقة), possibly a well located in or in the vicinity of the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area, east of the city of Ma’rib (مأرب). 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.

  • Reports of the incident mention the Bi’ir Shoudqa (بئر شودقة), possibly a well located in or in the vicinity of the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area, east of the city of Ma’rib (مأرب).

    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
    Unknown
  • (1 other protected person)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr221

Incident date

January 29, 2020

Location

الحصن المشرف, Al Hosson Al Mashrif, Al Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.79646, 45.04077 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US drone strike reportedly killed AQAP leaders Qasim Al-Raymi and Abu Al-Baraa Al-Ibbi as they travelled in a car through Yakla, Bayda governorate, on January 29th 2020. This was one of three alleged January strikes in which Qasim al-Raymi was reportedly killed – with his death in one of those actions later confirmed by both the US government and AQAP. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

A source “familiar with AQAP’s operations inside Yemen” and a local security source told Al-Masdar Online that Al-Raymi had been killed in this strike. Local residents told Al-Masdar that the attack took place in the village of Al-Hosson Al-Mashrif, and that AQAP militants had then prevented local media and activists from accessing the site.

Similarly, according to reports in The Yemen and 4May, sources told Okaz News that Al-Raymi and Al-Ibbi were killed by the strike at noon, as they arrived at a site controlled by AQAP. The original Okaz article could not be found by Airwars.

Responding to local reports, academic Dr Elisabeth Kendall noted that Al-Ibbi was an “articulate and active” AQAP jurist.

Throughout late January and early February 2020, numerous local-language and English-language sources reported that al-Raymi had been killed by a US strike at the end of January. These variously indicated that he was killed by one of two alleged strikes in the Wadi Obeida, Marib, on January 25th (USYEMTr218) or January 27th (USYEMTr219-C); or by this alleged strike in Bayda on January 29th.

Given that the first known reports of al-Raymi’s death also emerged on January 29th, post-dating the alleged strikes in which he was reported to have died, it was impossible to reasonably exclude the possibility that he died in any of these three reported incidents.

On February 6th, a White House statement confirmed that al-Raymi had been killed by a January strike, but did not specify where or when he had died. “This was not a [Department of Defense] operation”, a US Pentagon official told Politico.  A former US official told Foreign Policy that the strike was conducted by a CIA aircraft.

US Central Command told Airwars that no US military strikes were conducted in Yemen during January 2020, effectively confirming that the strike that killed Al-Raymi was a CIA operation.

Al-Raymi had been the leader of AQAP since 2015, having been a founding member of the group in 2006.  On February 23rd 2020, AQAP confirmed that al-Raymi had died, and announced Khalid Batarfi as its new leader, according to Dr Elisabeth Kendall (@Dr_E_Kendall).

The incident occured around midday.

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

Sources (52) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (21) [ collapse]

  • Qasim al-Raymi, the leader of AQAP, was alleged to have been killed in the strike (@Rita_Katz, January 30th 2020)
  • The strike was one of three alleged US actions in January which reportedly killed Al-Raymi (@NATSEC09, January 31st 2020)
  • The US State Department had previously offered $10 million for information leading to Al-Raymi's capture (New York Times, January 31st 2020)
  • On February 1st, an apparently pre-recorded message from Al-Raymi claimed responsibility for the December 2019 Pensacola naval base shooting (@Dr_E_Kendall, February 1st 2020)
  • In a tweet, academic Dr Elisabeth Kendall pointed out that a February 1st video of Al-Raymi omitted "the usual "May Allah protect him"... which would have shown he's alive" (@Dr_E_Kendall, February 2nd 2020)
  • Al-Raymi had been leader of AQAP since 2015, after his predecessor was killed by a US drone strike (@englishsssn, January 31st 2020)
  • Al-Raymi was confirmed to have been killed by the White House on February 6th 2020 (BBC Monitoring, January 31st 2020)
  • On February 23rd, AQAP confirmed the death of Al-Raymi, announcing Khalid Batarfi as his successor (@Dr_E_Kendall, February 23rd 2020)
  • Khalid Batarfi, Al-Raymi's successor as AQAP leader (@Dr_E_Kendall, February 23rd 2020)
  • Al-Raymi, born in 1978, was a founding member of AQAP (BBC Arabic, February 7th 2020)
  • In 2017, Al-Raymi said that lone shooter attacks brought him joy (Long War Journal, February 6th 2020)
  • Al-Raymi (right), alongside Pensacola shooter Muhammed bin Saeed Al-Shamrani (Long War Journal, February 6th 2020)
  • (@Saad_Binmuad, January 29th 2020)

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Hosson Al Mashrif (الحصن المشرف), allegedly within the vicinity of Yakla (يكلاء). One source, @JoshuaKoontz__, suggests the area of Wadi Al Mashrif (وادي المشيريف) as a potential location for this village, approximately 33KM north of Yakla. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Wadi Al Mashrif are: 14.79646, 45.04077

  • Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Hosson Al Mashrif (الحصن المشرف), allegedly within vicinity of Yakla (يكلاء).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • One source, @JoshuaKoontz__, suggests the area of Wadi Al Mashrif (وادي المشيريف) as a potential location for this village, approximately 33KM north of Yakla.

    Imagery:
    @JoshuaKoontz__

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation in Yemen that successfully eliminated Qasim al-Rimi, a founder and the leader of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and a deputy to al-Qa’ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Rimi joined al-Qa’ida in the 1990s, working in Afghanistan for Osama bin Laden. Under Rimi, AQAP committed unconscionable violence against civilians in Yemen and sought to conduct and inspire numerous attacks against the United States and our forces. His death further degrades AQAP and the global al-Qa’ida movement, and it brings us closer to eliminating the threats these groups pose to our national security. The United States, our interests, and our allies are safer as a result of his death. We will continue to protect the American people by tracking down and eliminating terrorists who seek to do us harm.

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

Sources (52) [ collapse]