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

USYEMTr151

Incident date

March 4–5, 2018

Location

الخضارة, Al Khudaira, Hadramout, Yemen

Geolocation

15.42361, 48.05694 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two bodies of alleged AQAP militants, reportedly killed by a US drone strike, were found in or near Al-Abr district, in Hadramout governorate, at some time from March 4th to March 5th. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Local sources told Elganob that two AQAP members had been killed by a US drone in Al Khudaira district, near Al-Abr, on March 5th. Facebook user @mukallatgm3na further suggested that a US strike had taken place in Al Khudaira on the evening of March 4th.

According to both sources, as well as others including @tarebhtoday and @Ryad_Alhrde, the two unidentified bodies were found some time after the strike, and reportedly transferred to the Sayun General Hospital on March 5th. One source, @RepYemenEnglish, indicated that the bodies were found “two or three days” after the strike had taken place.

The Yemen, quoting a source speaking to Anatolia Agency, further suggested that four fighters killed on March 5th were members of the Al-Muhashimah tribe, possibly referring to those killed in this strike and others in the same time frame. The original Anatolia Agency report could not be found by Airwars.

A local security official told Xinhua that four AQAP militants had been killed by a US drone strike against “a moving vehicle” on March 6th. Given that no other known sources reported a unique strike on that day, this potentially reflects a late report of this strike and/or another reported strike at around the same time (USYEMTr150).  This single-source allegation is also captured in a separate event (USYEMTr153).

@RepYemenEnglish posted an alleged image of the targeted vehicle, though an image from another source, @egl3000, appeared to show the same vehicle from another angle.  This second source suggested that the pictured vehicle had been targeted in another reported strike in the area from around the same time (USYEMTr150).

A US Central Command spokesperson later told the Long War Journal that two US strikes had taken place in Hadramout on March 4th and one on March 5th 2018. Since it was suggested that this strike took place on the evening of March 4th, this event has been treated as one of those declared March 4th strikes.

It is possible that some reports that two were killed in a US drone strike in Hadramout may have referred to another reported strike later on March 5th (USYEMTr152-C), though sources suggested that only one person, a child, died in this later strike.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Two images appeared to show the same vehicle, allegedly destroyed by a US strike. While this source claimed that the vehicle was destroyed in this event, another indicated that it was the target of another apparent US strike at around the same time. (@egl3000, March 6th 2018)
  • Two images appeared to show the same vehicle, allegedly destroyed by a US strike. This source, however, claimed that the image showed a car destroyed in another strike at around the same time. (@RepYemenEnglish, March 6th 2018)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Al Khudaira (الخضارة) village for which the generic coordinates are: 15.42361, 48.05694. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr029

Incident date

March 3, 2017

Location

مَأْرِب, Ma'rib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.469832, 45.325818 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Multiple sources reported that a US drone strike on the evening of March 3rd 2017 targeted Sheikh Abdulilah al-Dhahab and four of his guards, all of whom were alleged to be AQAP militants, while they were travelling in Marib governorate. Some sources suggested that the strike took place on the outskirts of Marib, the capital of Marib governorate. There were no known reports of civilian harm.

Sources reported that al-Dhahab’s four guards were killed in the attack, but differed over whether al-Dhahab survived. Some suggested that he was injured in the strike, while others indicated that he was killed alongside his guards.

In January 2019, PBS Frontline published an interview with Abdulilah al-Dhahab, demonstrating that he had indeed survived this strike. Accounting for this, reported militant deaths have been set at four, with one reported injury.

Al-Dhahab was allegedly the target of two previous US strikes from March 2nd to March 3rd, both of which reportedly targeted his residence in Yakla, Bayda governorate. The second strike, which took place overnight from March 2nd-3rd, reportedly killed three of his extended family. Al-Dhahab was also a survivor of a US (and allegedly Emirati) ground raid on January 29th 2017 (USYEMTr006-C), which resulted in the deaths of at least twenty civilians, including eleven children. Reportedly amongst the dead were several relatives of Abdulilah al-Dhahab, including his son Nasser; his niece Nawar al-Awlaki; and two of his brothers, alleged AQAP militants Sultan and Abd-al-Ra’uf al-Dhahab.  Multiple sources, however, disputed that the latter two were affiliated with AQAP, instead suggesting that they were instead involved with the pro-Hadi militia forces.

This strike allegedly 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”.

The incident occured during the night.

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
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (28) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • In January 2019, PBS Frontline published an interview with Abdulilah al-Dhahb, indicating that he had survived this strike

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the vicinity of Ma’rib (مَأْرِب) city, for which, due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The coordinates for Ma’rib are: 15.469832, 45.325818

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, 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
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (28) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr067

Incident date

April 2–3, 2017

Location

موجان, Mojan, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.425116, 46.171369 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

US airstrikes reportedly targeted alleged AQAP camps in the Mogan area of Al Maraqisha, Abyan governorate, overnight from April 2nd to April 3rd 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm, or of belligerent casualties.

According to Aden al-Ghad, a warplane launched several missiles at various locations in the area. Some sources such as Yemenat instead claimed that the strikes had been carried out by a drone.

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

The incident occured during the night.

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 (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Mojan (موجان), for which the coordinates are: 13.425116, 46.171369. 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 (11) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr153

Incident date

March 6, 2018

Location

Al Abr District , Hadhramout, Yemen

Geolocation

15.902375, 47.219628 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

News agency Xinhua reported that according to a local security official, a US drone strike had killed four alleged AQAP militants in Al Abr, in Hadhramout governorate, on March 6th 2018. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

A second source, Mosnad News, published on March 6th, also reported that a US strike had killed four AQAP militants, but did not give a date.

There were several reports of strikes in the same area during early March 2018, many of which aligned with strikes confirmed by US Central Command, including three on March 4th-5th that reportedly collectively killed at least four militants and one civilian.

Since the second source could have been referring to one of these other reported events – and since CENTCOM has declared no strikes for March 6th itself – this incident has been assessed as a single-source claim. It is possible that the Xinhua source also reflects a late report of one of these other events.

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)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    4

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Al Abr District (مديرية العبر) for which the generic coordinates are: 15.902375, 47.219628. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Al Abr District (مديرية العبر).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

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)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    4

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr217

Incident date

January 20, 2020

Location

Special Forces School Mosque, Ma'rib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.477056, 45.317608 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

US drone strikes targeted what was described as the government ‘Central Security’ headquarters in Marib governorate, killing “terrorist” individuals, on the evening of January 20th 2020, according to a number of local language social media sources.

Other sources also reported that a military base, the “third military zone”, was targeted, with some assigning responsibility for the attack to Houthi military forces. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Sources reporting a US drone strike gave varying casualty figures. A few Twitter users, including @hamzah_almorady and @SamarQah, indicated that there were “dozens of dead”, while user @ganoubhura indicated that eleven “terrorist elements” had been killed in a raid on the “Special Forces camp”. As such, minimum alleged militant deaths is set at eleven, with a maximum of 24, accounting for the reports of “dozens of dead”.

Other sources, which did not assign responsibility to the US, gave additional details on the attack, and indicated that there were no fatalities.  A military source told Arabi21 that a drone had targeted the Marib military headquarters, where the Special Forces School is based, but was shot down. The source indicated that the strike resulted in “no casualties”.

Twitter users @IkoAfortiori and @RebeccaRambar also reported explosions and anti-aircraft fire in the third military zone. Some suggested that soldiers had sustained injuries in the raid. A military source told Al-Masdar Online that seven government soldiers from the 13th Infantry Brigade were injured. Given these reports, minimum alleged military deaths is set at zero, while the minimum number of alleged military injuries is set at seven.

Some indicated that the strike was instead conducted by Houthi forces. Yemen Army Captain Hisham Mgdashi (@Hishammagdashy) suggested that the strike was conducted by Houthi forces, targeting the mosque of the Special Forces School at 6:57pm. Others, including @aslakaniali, further reported that a Houthi drone had been shot down in Marib.

While most indicated that the attack was conducted by an aircraft of some kind, Sky News Arabic instead suggested that the explosion was the result of a ballistic missile strike.

The reported strike came days after an alleged Houthi missile attack targeted a military training camp in Marib governorate, reportedly killing over 100 Yemeni military personnel.

US Central Command told Airwars that no US military strikes were conducted during January 2020. It is, however, possible that an undeclared strike was conducted by the CIA, or as part of a clandestine US military action.

The incident occured at 18:57:00 local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Airstrike and/or Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Houthi Forces
  • Suspected target
    Unknown
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–24
  • Belligerents reported injured
    7

Sources (30) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Multiple sources suggested that the Third Military Zone was targeted by at least one strike, but disagreed on the identify of the belligerent and casualty numbers (@IkoAfortiori, January 20th 2020)
  • Alleged video of damage to the Marib Third Military Zone Special Forces School.

Geolocation notes (4) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a strike on the mosque of the Special Forces School in the Third Military Zone, Ma’rib (مريب ) city. Combining audiovisual material and evidence of structural damage from satellite imagery, we have found the exact location of this strike, for which the coordinates are: 15.477056, 45.317608.

  • Reports of the incident mention a strike on the mosque of the Special Forces School in the Third Military Zone, Ma’rib (مريب ) city. Combining audiovisual material and evidence of structural damage from satellite imagery, we have found the exact location of this strike.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Side by side comparison of structural damage. Left is imagery from 24/07/2019, while right is dated as 07/02/2020.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Tagged satellite imagery.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Tagged audiovisual source.

    Imagery:
    @RebeccaRambar

US Forces Assessment:

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

Houthi Forces Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Airstrike and/or Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Houthi Forces
  • Suspected target
    Unknown
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–24
  • Belligerents reported injured
    7

Sources (30) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr231-C

Incident date

October 27, 2020

Location

عرق آل شبوان, Irq Al Shabwan, Ma'rib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.51479, 45.37014 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US drone strike reportedly targeted alleged AQAP militants’ Vitara vehicle in the ‘Irq Al Shabwan area of Al Wadi district in Marib governorate on 27 October 2020 killing between two and three militants and wounding one, according to local sources. Almawqaea Post noted that a local source had named the militants as being members of the Al Suwari family. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Many sources reported that the drone strike totally burned the car, killing two people inside, and critically wounding a third one. However, Aden news agency said that the two killed people belong to the Islah Party “the de facto ruler of the city and its surroundings since late 2015.” Also 7adramout.net said the identity of those killed is unknown.

Multiple news sources reported that the strike was believed to have been carried out by the US, given previous strikes in the area. Most reports referred to two militants being killed, although two sources including Yemen Now News reported that all three were killed.  No reports referred to whether the third may have died from his wounds.

The incident likely occurred in the afternoon, given the time media reports started to publish. One of the first news reports, by Adengad.net, stated that a “drone believed to be an American targeted an Al-Qaeda vehicle in the Ma’rib governorate”, citing local sources as saying that the car was carrying Al-Qaeda operatives. Only one source, AlAyyam, said the incident happened in the evening.

 

The incident occured in the afternoon.

Summary

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

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Caption translation:A drone (believed to be American) targeted a car believed to be carrying two members of Al-Qaeda organization in Yemen in the Irq Al Shabwan region in Marib governorate this afternoon.
  • Map shows area of drone strike in early this year as well (pins on right) ... @CarvajalF 27th October 2020

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in Irq Al Shabwan (عرق آل شبوان), west of the Ma’rib (مأرب) city, for which the generic coordinates are: 15.51479, 45.37014. This location is confirmed in a tweet by @CarvajalF. 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

Summary

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

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr117

Incident date

November 19, 2017

Location

يكلا‎, Yakla, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

A US strike in Bayda governorate killed two AQAP militants on November 19th 2017, a US Central Command spokesperson told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. This confirmed local reports that a US drone strike had killed at least three alleged AQAP militants in Yakla, in the Wald Rabi area of Bayda governorate, on that evening. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Multiple local-language sources, including Adengad and @tarebhtoday, reported that, according to locals, the strike targeted an area “near an ISIS camp” in the area, though none suggested that ISIS members had been killed. Others, such as Hour News, suggested that the area was itself home to an AQAP “site”. Both terror organisations had previously been targeted in the area.

While most suggested that three were killed in the strike, @7adramout_net reported that four “from Al Qaeda” had died. Another Twitter source, @demolinari, named one of those killed as Abdullah Hassan Abdullah Nuba Al-Ateeqi.

The incident occured in the evening.

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
    2–4

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • According to @demolinari, one of the alleged AQAP militants killed in the strike was named Abdullah Hassan Abdullah Nuba Al-Ateeqi (November 20th 2017)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention training camps being struck in the vicinity of Yakla (يكلا‎) village, 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
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US Forces

Jess,

This is the most current CENTCOM information on strikes against AQAP and ISIS in Yemen.

· One strike against ISIS in al-Bayda Governorate, Yemen, Nov. 26. killing three terrorists.
· One strike against AQAP in Shabwah Governorate, Yemen, Nov. 25 killing seven terrorists.
· One strike against ISIS in al-Bayda Governorate, Yemen, Nov. 23, killing two terrorists.
· Two strikes against AQAP in al-Bayda Governorate, Yemen, Nov. 19-20. The strikes killed two AQAP terrorists Nov. 19 and five terrorists on Nov 20.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

MAJ Brown
CENTCOM Media Operations

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    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
    2–4

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr005

Incident date

January 26, 2017

Location

الحرج, Al Haraj, Shabwa, Yemen

Geolocation

14.76667, 46.73333 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US airstrike reportedly killed three alleged AQAP militants, “including a leader”, in the Al Haraj area of Jardan district, in Shabwa governorate, according to various sources. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Critical Threats, for example, asserted that “A reported U.S. airstrike killed three al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants in al Haraj area, central Shabwah governorate on January 26.”

According to Saad Al-Wadi, the strike targeted a car in the desert area, fifty kilometres from the city of Ataq.

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
    3

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Al Haraj (الحرج) area, within the Jardan (جردان) district of Shabwa (شبوة) province. There is no indication of a defined boundary for this area, therefore, we have assigned the following generic coordinates; 14.76667, 46.73333. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Al Haraj (الحرج) area, within the Jardan (جردان) district of Shabwa (شبوة) province.

    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
    3

Sources (6) [ collapse]