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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Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
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Infrastructure
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Incident Code

USYEM015-C

Incident date

May 9, 2011

Location

الميراب, al Mirab, Border Ta'izz/Ibb, Yemen

Geolocation

13.710239, 44.056858 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Ali Alkhadr (14 years old) was injured by shrapnel from an alleged US air-strike on May 9th, 2011 near the village al-Mihrab.

Al-Akhbar reported on the incident stating that the shrapnel tore Alkhadr´s jaw open when he was returning from a family visit in al-Mihrab village. It was reported that Doctors without Borders provided 1 million Yemeni Riyal ($4,660) for reconstructive surgency, for the once studious teenager.

As a result of the attack Ali dropped out of school and his father claimed that he had to hospitalise his son because of a drug overdose, as he believes his son wanted to end his life, after Ali fell into depression. Furthermore the father was quoted as saying: “He refuses to see his classmates because he is disfigured. It’s been eight months and there is nothing I can do to help my son,” said the boy’s father. “He does not want to go to school and one time I hospitalized him because he overdosed on drugs. I believe he wanted to end his life, and it pains me to see that. I don’t know what to do,” he added.

The incident involving Ali was mentioned in an article about US involvement in Yemen, indicating that this incident was carried out by the US.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ali Alkhadr
14 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the village of Al Mirab or Al Mihrab. Due to limited information available, we were unable to verify the coordinates, as several villages have the same or a similar name. There are three possible villages the reports are referring to. Their coordinates are: 13.73732, 43.72378; 14.04897, 44.13587 or 13.45457, 44.04858. The coordinates for a mid point between these villages are: 13.710239, 44.056858.

  • Imagery:
    © Google 2019

US Forces Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr146-C

Incident date

February 12, 2018

Location

البيضاء, Al Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.313489, 45.305892 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Province/governorate level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US strike took place in Bayda governorate against an unspecified target on February 12th 2018, a US Central Command spokesperson later told the Long War Journal.

One source at the time of the attack, Yemen Monitor, claimed: “American drones launched more than once raids targeting sites of the Popular Resistance in Al Bayda Governorate, central Yemen, which resulted in deaths and injuries of resistance elements, in addition to civilian casualties.” Though generic, these reported civilian casualties are accounted for in this event.

Two other local-language social media sources, @egl3000 and @khmaf666, reported on the morning of February 13th that a US strike had killed seven. The former indicated that the dead were pro-government soldiers, including one officer; while the latter instead indicated that they were ISIS fighters. It is possible that these sources referred to a distinct reported strike, USYEMTr145.

To account for these claims, Airwars has assessed that at least two civilians were reportedly killed in the strike, accounting for the description of plural casualties, though this claim has been assessed as ‘Weak’. Seven reported belligerent casualties are recorded, as well as at least two wounded, though it was unclear whether those recorded were soldiers or non-state forces.

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.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known targets
    ISIS - Yemen, Other
  • Belligerents reported killed
    7
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the Al Bayda (البيضاء) governorate. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Al Bayda governorate are: 14.313489, 45.305892.

  • Reports of the incident mention the Al Bayda (البيضاء) governorate.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

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
  • May 2, 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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known targets
    ISIS - Yemen, Other
  • Belligerents reported killed
    7
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr024

Incident date

March 2–3, 2017

Location

جبل نوفان, Jabal Novan, Bayda', Yemen

Geolocation

14.493551, 44.760258 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Sources reported that US airstrikes targeted AQAP militants in Jabal Novan, Bayda governorate, overnight from March 2nd to March 3rd. There were no known reports of civilian casualties.

Alleged strikes in the area came hours after another alleged strike in Jabal Novan had reportedly killed three AQAP militants early on March 2nd.  The evening strikes reportedly occurred in conjunction with US attacks across the Qaifa region, in Yakla, Dhi Kalb, and Jassima.  Social media sources suggested that twelve strikes were launched in total in the Novan area over the course of the night.

According to multiple reports, local tribal sources said that about a dozen AQAP militants were killed in Jabal Novan, though it was unclear if this also included the three alleged casualties from earlier on March 2nd. Al-Jazeera reported that “drones and helicopters launched several raids” in the areas of Novan and the nearby al-Hajib and Bilad al-Jawf areas, killing nine alleged AQAP militants.  One source claimed that five US Marines were also killed when an Apache was downed in “Novan and Aqaba Zaaj”, though no other source corroborated this.

This claimed event took place amid the dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP. On March 3rd, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davies announced that more than thirty strikes had been conducted since March 2nd in Yemen. On the same day, Associated Press reported that Yemeni officials and residents said that 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 beginning March 2nd were “part of ‘new directives’ to aggressively pursue the Dhahab and Qayfa clans”.

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • 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
    14–17

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Jabal Novan (جبل نوفان), north from the town of Rada’a (رداع), within the Qifah (قيفه) district, for which the coordinates are: 14.493551, 44.760258. 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

The U.S. military conducted precision strikes today in Yemen against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula to target the dangerous terrorist group that is intent on attacking the West, a Pentagon spokesman said.

With today's actions, the United States has carried out more than 30 strikes in Yemen since yesterday against the terrorist group, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters.

"These counterterrorism strikes were conducted in partnership with the government of Yemen," Davis said, adding, "U.S. forces will continue to target [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] militants and facilities in order to disrupt the terrorist organization's plots and ultimately to protect American lives."

The results of the strikes are still being assessed, Davis said.

Aimed At Degrading Terrorist Capabilities

The aim of the strikes is to keep the pressure on the terrorists and deny them access and freedom of movement within traditional safe havens, Davis said. "They've taken advantage of ungoverned spaces in Yemen to plot, direct and inspire terrorist attacks against the United States," he added. "We'll continue to work with the government of Yemen and our partners on the ground to defeat [the organization] and deny it the ability to operate."

The actions since have targeted militants, equipment and infrastructure in the governorates of Abyan, Al Bayda and Shabwah and will degrade the terrorist group's ability to coordinate external terror attacks and limit its ability to use territory seized from Yemen’s legitimate government as a safe space for terror plotting, the captain said.

U.S. forces have not been involved in or near any firefights in Yemen since late January, Davis said. In that January operation, Navy Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens was killed and three other U.S. service members were wounded.

Extremely Dangerous al-Qaida Affiliate

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula remains an extremely dangerous al-Qaida affiliate, and is taking advantage of the chaos in the country from the civil war there, Davis said, noting that the organization “has more American blood on its hands" than the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria does.

Davis said al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is a "deadly terrorist organization that has proven itself to be very effective in targeting and killing Americans, and they have intent and aspirations to continue doing so."

The organization is integral to al-Qaida and remains intent on attacking Western targets, specifically the United States, a defense official said, speaking on background.

Total group strength in Yemen is in the "low thousands," the official said, adding that it remains a local and regional threat and directly contributes to the instability inside Yemen.

"This is a dangerous group locally, regionally and transnationally, to include against the United States, the West and our allies," the official said.

The terrorists have "skillfully exploited the disorder in Yemen to build its strength and reinvigorate its membership and training," the official said, noting that because members of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula tend to be from Yemen, they can blend in with the tribes there.

There have been notable successes against the group, the official said, including killing some of its key leaders.

Iraq Update

In other news, Davis updated reporters on progress in Iraq in liberating western Mosul from ISIS. Iraqi forces have cut across Highway 1, effectively isolating Mosul from the Syrian city of Raqqa, he said. Some areas in the north are still ISIS-controlled, he said, so Mosul is not completely severed from Raqqa.

"But in terms of having a road, that road is now cut," he said.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
  • 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
    14–17

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr064

Incident date

April 1, 2017

Location

أحور, West of Ahwar, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.519256, 46.712837 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A reported airstrike targeted alleged AQAP militants to the west of Ahwar town, Abyan governorate, on April 1st 2017.  There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Some sources reported that the strike came alongside an additional two actions on a farm to the east of Ahwar (USYEMTr063), indicating that the strike took place early on April 1st. According to the Aden Times, the strike targeted “locations where al-Qaeda groups gathered”.

Sources varied in assigning responsibility to a particular belligerent. Some described the strikes as US or American, while others indicated that Arab coalition aircraft “backed by US drones” were responsible. Airwars has therefore assessed this strike as “contested”.

This reported strike took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP, starting in early March 2017. On April 3rd 2017, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that, since February 28th 2017, 70 US airstrikes were conducted in Yemen.

The incident occured in the morning.

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)

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention strikes in the west of Ahwar (أحور) town, for which the generic coordinates are: 13.519256, 46.712837. 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

The U.S. military conducted airstrikes over eastern Yemen during the weekend, targeting the sites of extremist group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, director of Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters today.

“We continue to target [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] in Yemen, and this is done in the interest of disrupting a terror organization that presents a very significant threat to the United States,” Davis said.

Strikes Target Terrorists

During the weekend in Yemen’s Shabwah governorate, the precision airstrikes targeted al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorists, as well as the terrorists’ infrastructure, fighting positions and equipment, the spokesman said.

The airstrikes follow the late-January U.S. raid in Yemen during which a U.S. service member died. From Feb. 28 through last week, some 50 airstrikes were conducted, Davis noted.

The weekend airstrikes, which were largely unmanned, bring the total to 70, he said.

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)

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr135

Incident date

January 12, 2018

Location

لقاح, Liqah, Al Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.539317935, 44.829586993 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least five AQAP militants were reportedly killed in the course of up to five alleged US drone strikes in Qayfa, Bayda governorate, on the evening of January 12th 2018.  According to local-language news sources, strikes reportedly targeted the area of Hami Liqah. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

A source told Russia Today Arabic that strikes had targeted Hami Liqah. Local-language sources including Aden Lang and Akhbar Al-Aan also reported strikes in Hami Liqah.

There were also reports of strikes in Jabal Novan, Dhi Kalb, and the Al-Jassima areas of Qayfa on January 12th. Unique events have been created to account for these reports.

Several sources indicated that strikes in Qayfa on the 12th resulted in a number of militant deaths and injuries. Locals reportedly told Al Yom Press that “the raids targeted a site for the militants as well as a car belonging to them, and resulted in deaths and injuries”.  Two English-language sources, @demolinari and @switch_d, further named one of the dead as Jawas Ahmed. These reports are accounted for in event USYEMTr132.

In an email to the Long War Journal, a US Central Command spokesperson confirmed that a strike took place against AQAP in Bayda on January 12th. There were no known reports of strikes against AQAP outside of Qayfa on that day. This confirmation has been accounted for in event USYEMTr132, though it could have applied to any or all of the reported strikes in Qayfa, Bayda, on January 12th.

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)

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Alleged AQAP militant Jawas Ahmed was allegedly one of those killed by reported US strikes in Qayfa on January 12th (@demolinari, January 12th 2018)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Liqah (لقاح), for which the generic coordinates are: 14.539317935, 44.829586993. 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

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)

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr214-C

Incident date

November 1, 2019

Location

ريدان بالقرب من جبل الكنائس, Raidan, in the vicinity of Jabal Al Kaneas, Ma'rib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.76963, 45.40988 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US drone strike reportedly killed at least two alleged AQAP militants, including a leadership figure, in Raidan village, in the Al Kanaes area of Marib governorate, on November 1st 2019. One source, @AlkaramaHR, instead appeared to suggest that those killed were civilians, unaffiliated with AQAP.

On January 2nd 2020, US Central Command told New America that no strikes had been conducted since 24th June 2019, but that an investigation was nevertheless ongoing into this alleged action. It is possible that this was instead a CIA action, or was a clandestine US military action.

The Alkarama Foundation (@AlkaramaHR), a human rights group, indicated in a tweet at the time that “two Yemenis” were killed by the strike, and condemned “extrajudicial killings”, possibly indicating that those killed were civilians.

All other known sources, however, reported that the dead were AQAP members. Local and tribal sources told Yemen Press Agency and Al-Masdar Online that Khamis bin Arfaj was killed along with his brother, Turki bin Arfaj, as they drove through the area.  These sources indicated that both were suspected AQAP.

One Twitter source, @ahmadsaeede326, shared a screen-capture of a Facebook post, which stated that Saleh Afraj was an “important leader of the National Army in Marib”, and had been killed by a US drone strike. The original Facebook source could not be found by Airwars. Given this, it is possible that one of those killed was a member of the Yemeni military.

Some local language Twitter sources, such as @ben_ataf, simply indicated that Khamis and his “companions” were killed in the strike, possibly indicating a militant death toll of at least three.  Though most reported that the strike targeted a car, @South24_net indicated that an AQAP “gathering” was bombed.

According to Al-Mashhad Al-Yemeni, Khamis bin Arfaj was a “prominent” leader in AQAP, and a close friend of Anwar Al-Awlaki prior to his death in a 2011 US drone strike. Local sources told the outlet that Khamis and Turki were both members of the Al-Marwan tribe, from Al-Jawf governorate.

In its annual civilian casualty report for Congress issued in April 2019, the US Department of Defense stated that, as of March 1st 2020, it had assessed “no credible reports of civilian casualties resulting from US military actions in Yemen during 2019”. The report also asserted that US Central Command had not received “any reports from IOs or NGOs regarding potential civilian casualties caused by U.S. military action in Yemen in 2019”.

The incident was first reported on November 1, 2020 at 4:00 pm by .

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • 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
    2–3

Sources (38) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One source, @sheeq71, posted this image on November 1st 2019, which possibly shows one of those killed in the reported US drone strike (November 1st 2019).
  • A few sources indicated that the alleged militants may have been targeted amid the movement of pro-government forces in the area (sheeq71, November 1st 2019)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village or area of Raidan (ريدان), allegedly in the vicinity of Jabal Al Kanaes (جبل الكنائس), in the desert north of Ma’rib (مارب) city. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Jabal Al Kaneas are: 15.76963, 45.40988.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

On January 2, in response to an email inquiry, CENTCOM reiterated June 24th as the last CENTCOM strike in Yemen and said an investigation is ongoing into an alleged 11/1 strike reported by Xinhua

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • 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
    2–3

Sources (38) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr202

Incident date

July 8, 2019

Location

مريب, Ma'rib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.469871, 45.323441 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One Telegram source, Mutabaa Akhbariya, reported that a US drone strike targeted alleged AQAP ammunition and weapon stores in Marib city, in Marib governorate, on the evening of July 8th 2019. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Mutabaa Akhbariya stated that, according to “intelligence sources”, six people were killed and twelve wounded in the strikes, which he claimed had led to the explosion of warehouses contained heavy weapons ammunition.

@NewsyemenS also reported that a weapons shop in Marib city exploded on July 8th, causing explosions in nearby shops, but did not assign responsibility to US strikes. A local source told @NewsyemenS that at least one person had died and that two had been injured.

No other known sources reported an explosion, and there were no other known reports of US drone strikes at the time. This event has therefore been assessed as a single source allegation.

US Central Command told Airwars that there were no US military strikes in Yemen during July 2019. It is, however, possible that any undeclared strike was conducted by the CIA, or was part of a clandestine US military action.

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
  • 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
    1–6
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2–12

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • @NewsyemenS reported that an ammunition shop in Marib had exploded; one source assigned responsibility to a US drone strike (@NewsyemenS, July 9th 2019)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention an ammunition depot being struck in the city of Ma’rib (مريب). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Ma’rib are: 15.469871, 45.323441.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

CENTCOM told Airwars that there were no US military strikes during the month of July in Yemen. The last declared US action was on June 24th in Al Bayda province.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • 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
    1–6
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2–12

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM013-N

Incident date

May 15–June 15, 2011

Location

أَبْيَن , Abyan province, Abyan , Yemen

Airwars assessment

An anonymous Yemen defence ministry official claimed that a significant number of US drone strikes had taken place between mid-May and mid-June 2011. Strikes began in Shabwa province from May 3 onwards. According to The National, 15 US strikes took place between June 1 and June 15, including one on June 11 in which there were no casualties. Abdullah Laqman, deputy governor of Abyan province, told the publication: ‘These are the lives of innocent people being killed. At least 130 people have been killed in the last two week by US drones.’

Airwars coded the location of these strikes as Abyan province, as the only source available, The National, quoted a source stating that 80% of the strikes concerned were in Abyan province, without further precision.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • 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 (1) [ collapse]

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

Sources (1) [ collapse]