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

USYEM119-C

Incident date

August 8, 2012

Location

القطن, Al Qotn, Hadhramaut, Yemen

Geolocation

15.840587, 48.462107 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the 8th of August 2012, multiple drone or air strikes, allegedly by either Yemeni or US authorities, killed one person just before dawn in Al Qotn in the Hahdramaut Province. It remains unclear whether the person killed was a civilian or not.

@YRMC_S and @AdenOnline reported one person killed while @BaFana3 reported that a drone strike occurred just before dawn without specifying if anyone was killed. It was unclear whether those killed were civilians or militants.

None of the sources identified who was responsible, with both airstrikes and drones mentioned by the sources.

The incident occured around dawn.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 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 attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Al Qotn (القطن), for which the generic coordinates are: 15.840587, 48.462107. 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

Yemeni Air Force Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 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 attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM085-C

Incident date

May 16–17, 2012

Location

سيئون, شبام, Between Sayoun and Shibam, Hadhramout, Yemen

Geolocation

15.936155, 48.718976 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At 12:45am on May 17th 2012, an alleged unmanned US drone struck a convoy of two cars along the highway from Sayoun to Shibam alongside a lake opposite the radio station of the Thabit / Shibam area, killing two to three alleged Al Qaeda militants and killing one civilian, Moteei Mohsin Bel-Ala. Locals had sighted the drones for at least a day prior to the strike. Local officials have confirmed the strike.

A local security official told Xinhua News that a US drone fired two missiles on a moving pick-up truck as it passed through the Shibam area, killing two alleged militants. The Defence Ministry said two of the dead were local AQAP leaders, naming them as Zeid bin Taleb and Mutii Bilalafi. They were both on the Yemeni government’s most wanted list for terrorist attacks in the country, the official told Xinhua. Twitter accounts confirmed these names.

However, according to a report by the Open Society Justice Initiative and Mwatana, a 33-year-old civilian male, Moteei Mohsin Bel-Ala, a car dealer from the village of Wadi Hashoosh in Shepam District, who happened to be close to the car that was targeted, was killed in the attack. Yemeni government documents confirm that Moteei was a civilian: A letter dated November 25, 2013 from the head of the local council of Shepam District to the undersecretary of Hadramout Governorate states that Moteei was killed by a drone while he was coming from a place called Bohaira, and that he was accidentally killed with one of the suspects and another letter dated July 28, 2014 from the governor of Hadramout Governorate to the leader of the first military region states that Moteei Mohsin Bel-Ala was a civilian who was killed by mistake. Moteei’s uncle, Hakim Saleh Salem bin Shaaban, said that “when we got there, the car was ablaze and body parts were scattered around all over the place. I found his amputated head 20 meters away from the car: the features of Moteei’s head were not affected very much and so we were able to recognize it. The other person who is said to be Al Qaeda member was Obaid Saleh bin Talib. We were shocked and unable to believe what we were looking at. Some of the people who had gathered around the car informed us that they had seen a drone fire three missiles at the car. Actually, there were three close pits in that place.”

Moteei had a wife and two children and was the family breadwinner, he also supported his extended family of which he was the eldest son. It is unclear whether Moteei Mohsin Bel-Ala is the same person referred to above as Mutii Bilalafi, who is identified as being a militant, due to the lack of Arabic translations used in the sources (only English provided) but Moteei’s uncle, Hakim Saleh Salem bin Shaaban specified that the Toyota Hilux was owned by a man called Bin Talib (Zeid bin Taleb above), who was rumored to be an Al Qaeda member and that Hakim Saleh did not know whether Moteei was inside the car or next to it. This report along with tweets reported that the car hit by the airstrike was a Toyota Hilux. Moteei’s 27-year-old wife was told that morning by her uncle that her husband had died in an attack by an American aircraft. She did not see Moteei after his death— neither she, nor his mother were allowed to see the body. She added, “My son creates a lot of heartache for me. He keeps asking, “Where is my father?”

Reuters said a car reportedly carrying explosives was destroyed when an overnight strike targeted the convoy. Hadramout Today reported that “the plane fired about three shots, two of them were seen, when it made two pits on the ground and the third hit the car directly behind the driver.” Local residents said the three killed in the strike were all members of a militant cell. Associated Press added that two men in another car in the convoy were wounded in the strike, although it is unclear whether these were civilians. The Yemen Times referred to the second car as being damaged and “the survived four Jihadists were taken to the north of Shibam Hadramout district by their comrades in Hailox truck twenty five minutes after the attack, according to eye witnesses.”  A security source told the Yemen Times that the convoy consisted of two cars, the second of which was damaged in the attack. The source told the paper that one of the dead was a ‘prominent leader of Al Qaeda’ called Mohammed al Raimi. Al Raimi (aka al Raymi) survived a strike in April 2012 and was named as third-in-command at AQAP.

The strike appears to be the first to have been reported in real time on Twitter. A Yemeni lawyer and activist (@BaFana3) reported drone sightings on the social media network before the attack and said two vehicles were destroyed. Bafana later explained to the Bureau that his relatives live in Shibam, a town of 30,000. ‘When the drone struck, the town – which was then experiencing a power cut – had completely lit up. My relatives got straight on the phone to tell me about the attack.’ The Bureau added that others were also tweeting about the convoy, “Arabic-language online media in the provincial capital of al-Mukalla had reported that a convoy of alleged al Qaeda rebels was heading north. That news was also swiftly tweeted.” This incident occurred in “Hadhramaut province, a sparsely-populated former sultanate, is far from Yemen’s troubled south, where most of the fighting and US drone strikes are currently taking place.” According to Bafana (@BaFana3), “there had never been a drone strike. But suddenly four or five days ago, my relatives were reporting drones over them in daylight, all the time, which was rare. Militants were also being seen moving about in the area, maybe preparing the way for an evacuation from the fighting in the south. Everyone was expecting something to happen”.

The majority of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the strikes to a drone or missile attack, with many of the sources specifying that the US was responsible. The Long War Journal specified that the strikes were carried out by the “CIA and the US military’s Joint Special Operations Command” and the Bureau pointed out that “Yemen’s own air force has neither the know-how nor the equipment to launch a precision strike on moving vehicles in the dark.”

The incident occured at 00:45:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Moteei Mohsin Bel-Ala
33 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–3
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (44) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Damage caused by alleged US drone strikes in Hadramawt on May 17, 2012. (Image posted by Hadramout Today)
  • Damage caused by alleged US drone strikes in Hadramawt on May 17, 2012. (Image posted by Hadramout Today)
  • Damage caused by alleged US drone strikes in Hadramawt on May 17, 2012. (Image posted by Mwatana)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention that the airstrike targeted a convoy travelling on the main road between the towns Shibam (شبام) and Sayoun (سيئون) in the Hadramout (حضرموت‎) governorate. One source also reports the town Buhaira (البحيرة), which is just north of the two main roads between the towns, and mentions a radio station in the area. We were unable to locate this radio station. The coordinates for the area between Shibam (شبام), Sayoun (سيئون) and Buhaira (البحيرة) are: 15.936155, 48.718976.

  • Shibam (شبام), Sayoun (سيئون) and Buhaira (البحيرة), and the two main roads marked in red

    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
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–3
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (44) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM135-C

Incident date

November 7, 2012

Location

السرين, Sirin, Sana'a, Yemen

Geolocation

15.1136330, 44.3675950 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An alleged US drone strike killed two to four people, including one civilian (child) and two to three Al Qaeda militants from the AQAP (Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) branch, and injured one to three other militants in Beit Al Ahmar in the town of Sanhan in the Sana’a Governorate on the November 7th, 2012 in the evening.

Mareb Press reported that a child related to Al Qaeda was killed in the attack. No further information about him is known. Fox news provided the lowest estimate of people killed at two. Xinhua, AntiWar, and @AlMazadeenNews alleged that three people were killed in the strike. Adnan al-Qadhi, Radwan al-Hashidi, and Rabiee Lahib were reportedly the victims of this incident. Alternatively, Mareb Press reported that a child related to al-Qadhi was killed in the attack and that Rabiee Lahib was injured, not killed. Therefore, the highest possible death toll including the child and Rabiee Lahib added up to four deaths in total.

Adnan al-Qadhi’s death was confirmed by his brother to Human Rights Watch and the family confirmed it to Abdulrazzak al-Jamal, an expert of Islamic group affairs who spoke with Xinhua. Al-Qadhi was reportedly an Al Qaeda commander who was wanted for bombing the U.S. embassy in Sana’a in 2008. He also served for over two decades in the First Armored Division of Yemen and fought in Afghanistan. According to Anchorage Daily News, his home was fitted with Al Qaeda’s signature black flag that flew on a distinct mural outside of his home, which dispelled certain doubts about his affiliation to AQAP. The strike allegedly occurred at 6:45pm in the evening while Adnan al-Qadhi leaned out of his car to take a phone call from his wife. His last word was reportedly ‘Marhaba’ meaning Hello in Arabic.

Family members of al-Qadhi told McClathy Newspapers that al-Qadhi had already been arrested and released in 2008 after the embassy attack and wondered why he hadn’t been taken into custody alive rather than being killed. “He may have supported Al Qaeda, but he wasn’t taking part in activities,” said Abdulrazzaq Jamal, a Yemeni journalist and analyst who met with Qadhi shortly before his death. “There were connections, but there wasn’t perceptible tangible support.” “We could have made sure he turned himself in,” said Himyar al Qadhi, Adnan’s brother. “If Adnan was guilty of any crime, then arrest him, put him on trial.”

Radwan al-Hashidi, al-Qadhi’s bodyguard, was standing outside of the car when he “was hit by metal fragments in his mouth” and died upon arriving at the hospital. Arafat Ali Mawsa reportedly heard the explosion while returning from a wedding and attempted to drive al-Hashidi to the hospital while he was “still talking.”

There are no further details about Rabiee Lahib’s death except that he was also allegedly a bodyguard of al-Qadhi. However, Human Rights Watch reported that he missed the strike and was killed in another which occurred two months later. The information remains unclear.

In terms of those injured, Human Rights Watch offered the lowest number with one injured  whereas Big Think and Mareb Press reported that three were injured including Rabiee Lahib. No further information is available. As mentioned above, it is unsure whether Rabiee Lahib was killed or injured in the incident.

The strike was allegedly from a US drone rather than a Yemeni warplane as the timing, after dark, and its precise nature make it unlikely to be Yemeni as they have previously said that Yemen did not have the capacity to undertake precision strikes or fly after dark. Furthermore, Human Rights Watch confirmed that the missiles were Hellfire missiles that were consistent with drone strikes. An official from Al-Daylami Air Force Base in Sana’a confirmed that the strike could not be carried out by a Yemeni warplane. This incident occurred the day after Barack Obama’s re-election.

A video was released from Ansar al Sharia, a branch of AQAP, showing a ‘confession’ by a father, Hafizallah al-Kulaibi, of being a drone spy and the role of his son, Barq al-Kulaibi, who was 8 years old, in planting chips on Adnan al-Qadhi to be tracked by a drone. The video ended stating that ‘every filmed spy is killed after he has been filmed.’The father reported that he was offered 50,000 Yemeni rial, the equivalent of 233$, to make his son plant missile guiding chips on al-Qadhi.

The drone strike was carried out in Beit Al Ahmar, in the Sanhan region, 15 kilometers southeast of Sana’a. The area is home to the former President Saleh. Adam Baron, a Yemen-based freelance journalist, noted that an elementary school was not far from the location of the strike.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

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

Sources (59) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention that the strike targeted a vehicle on a dirt road in the village of Al Sirin (السرين), ‘hundreds of meters away’ from the village Beit Al Ahmar (بيت الأحمر), birthplace of former Yemen president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Journalist Adam Baron, who reported on the incident, posted a photograph on twitter of Saleh’s compound (Fort Afash) and stated that it was 2 minutes away from the site of the strike, and that it could be seen from that location. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the precise location of the strike. The coordinates for the village of Al Sirin (السرين) are: 15.1136330, 44.3675950.

  • Sirin (السرين), just south of Beit Al Ahmar (بيت الأحمر)

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Photo taken by Adam Baron of Saleh's compound in Beit Al Ahmar (2 minutes away from the strike location)

    Imagery:
    Adam Baron

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
    1
  • (1 child)
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1–3

Sources (59) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr126

Incident date

December 19, 2017

Location

الكولة, Al Kawlah, Ma'rib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.54686, 45.41379 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two alleged AQAP militants were reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Al Kawlah, in the Wadi Obeida area of Marib governorate, on the evening of December 19th 2017, according to several sources. On January 10th 2018, a US Central Command statement confirmed that a strike took place in Marib on December 19th, killing “AQAP deputy arms facilitator” Habib Al-Sana’ani. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

In addition to Al-Sana’ani, pro-AQAP channels named the second militant killed as Azzam Al-Kazemi, according to Twitter source @demolinari. Both victims reportedly belonged to the Wyla tribe in Saada.

Local-language sources, such as @ayramyy11, indicated that the strike targeted the militants as they travelled through the area in a car. AFP alone appeared to indicate that the strike occurred on the evening of December 20th, though it is possible that this reflects confusion with a second strike (USYEMTr127) in the same area.

In its statement, CENTCOM described Al-Sana’ani as “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”.

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

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Pro-AQAP channels named the alleged militants killed in the strike as Habib Al-Sana'ani (left) and Azzam Al-Kazemi (right) (@demolinari, December 20th 2017)
  • Azzam Al-Kazemi was later eulogised on a pro-AQAP feed by his "brother", Abu Salem Al-Kazemi (@demolinari, December 23rd 2017)
  • Azzam Al-Kazemi was later eulogised on a pro-AQAP feed by his "brother", Abu Salem Al-Kazemi (@demolinari, December 23rd 2017)
  • Azzam Al-Kazemi was later eulogised on a pro-AQAP feed by his "brother", Abu Salem Al-Kazemi (@demolinari, December 23rd 2017)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the vicinity of Al Kawlah (الكولة) village, in the north east of Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة). The generic coordinates for Al Kawlah are: 15.54686, 45.41379 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

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
    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

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM114-N

Incident date

July 28, 2012

Location

المحفد, Mahfad, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

14.060462, 46.914385 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On July 28th 2012 alleged Yemeni or US fighter jets bombed two suspected Al Qaeda hideouts in the Mahfad district of the Abyan Province with an unknown number of casualties as reported by Xinhua news who got their information from a local security official and a local resident.

The security official quoted by Xinhua news said: “It was not immediately clear if any of the Al Qaeda militants or some of their local leaders were killed in the air strikes. The bombing was in response to Wednesday’s Al Qaeda attack on pro-government checkpoints.”

A local resident said: “huge black [smoke] and fire erupted in one of the targeted compounds after military aircrafts fired some rockets on it” and that “[a]n abandoned Al Qaeda training site was also pounded in the air shelling”.

The attacks were attributed to Yemeni jets but its Air Force lacks the technical capability to carry out precision strikes. Therefore, US aircraft and armed drones may have been responsible.

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

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Mahfad (المحفد), for which the generic coordinates are: 14.060462, 46.914385. 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

Yemeni Air Force Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr186-C

Incident date

January 21, 2019

Location

جعار, Ja'ar, Al Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.25, 45.83333 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian, named as the elderly man Saleh Ahmed Mohammed al-Qaisi, was killed by a US drone strike in the vicinity of Ja’ar, in the Al Qayseen subdistrict, Sama’a district of Bayda governorate, at 10am on January 21st 2019.

In April 2021, CENTCOM confirmed to the Yemen human rights group Mwatana that it had killed a civilian in this action.

Mr Al-Qaisi was killed by the strike as he drove near a health centre in the area, according to reporting by Al-Masdar Online and Mwatana for Human Rights. Local sources told news outlets, including Hunaa Al-Bayda, Al-Masdar Online, and Yemen Shabab, that Al-Qaisi had no affiliation with any militant or extremist groups. No known sources indicated that he was a belligerent.

Several local-language sources, such as Yemen Monitor, described Al-Qaisi as a construction worker. Mwatana reported that he was employed in Saudi Arabia as a wall painter, and had returned to Bayda to visit his family. Reports gave differing accounts of Al-Qaisi’s age at the time of the strike.  Several local-language news and social-media sources indicated that he was 65. Both Mwatana and analyst Nadwa Dawsari (@NDawsari), stated that he was 67.

According to Mwatana, Saleh was targeted after taking his wife and three children to a relative’s house. Another relative, who spoke with him prior to the strike, told Mwatana “I had been on my bike when I met Uncle Saleh… he reminded me of some funny anecdotes while we were working in Saudi Arabia. Then he continued on his way… Suddenly, I heard an aircraft hitting his car”.

Another witness told Mwatana that the drone remained in the sky after the first strike, preventing others from helping Saleh. When he attempted to leave his car, another strike killed him. Locals described Saleh as “beloved, with good manners, and known as a person who did not involve himself in political or military affairs”.

A local source told Al-Masdar that the strike took place at 10am, and that drones had been flying over the area for the two previous days.

The day after the attack, Yemen Shabab, Huna Al-Bayda, and others reported that the Al-Qaisi tribe held a vigil for Saleh, holding banners condemning the government and the Saudi-led coalition for the killing of innocent civilians by US drones.

In its annual civilian casualty report for Congress issued in May 2020, 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”.

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.”

However, in April 2021 in response to a major civilian harm review by Mwatana, the US military noted: “USCENTCOM acknowledges one civilian casualty in a strike on January 22nd 2019 [sic] in al Bayda, Yemen… The command determined that condolence payments were not appropriate.”

The event was also confirmed in DoD’s annual civilian harm report to Congress, in which it noted: “As of April 2021, one report about one incident in 2019 and
one report about one incident in 2017 were found to be credible.”

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

The victims were named as:

Saleh Ahmed Mohammed al-Qaisi
67 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Sources (28) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • Members of the Al-Qaysi tribe held a vigil for Saleh, condemning US drone strikes against civilians.
  • Members of the Al-Qaysi tribe held a vigil for Saleh, condemning US drone strikes against civilians.
  • Members of the Al-Qaysi tribe held a vigil for Saleh, condemning US drone strikes against civilians.
  • The strike reportedly took place in Bayda governorate; the US later reported that an undated January strike had taken place in Bayda (Almarsd Post, January 21st 2019)
  • Weapon remnants found after the attack, which a weapons expert identified as being from an AGM-114 Hellfire missile. Photo received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • Weapon remnants found after the attack, which a weapons expert identified as being from an AGM-114 Hellfire missile. Photo received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • Weapon remnants found after the attack, which a weapons expert identified as being from an AGM-114 Hellfire missile. Photo received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • Protest organized by the community in the village after the attack. Photo received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • Protest organized by the community in the village after the attack. Photo received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • Saleh’s car after the strike. Photo received from a relative. Via Mwatana
  • Saleh’s car after the strike. Photo received from a relative. Via Mwatana

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the vicinity of Ja’ar (جعار) village, within the Al Qayseen (القيسين) subdistrict. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Ja’ar are: 14.25, 45.83333.

US Forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Credible / Substantiated
    The investigation assessed that although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties regrettably occurred.
  • Given reason for civilian harm
    No reason given
    Airwars’ assessment of belligerent’s civilian casualty statement
  • Initial Airwars grading
    Confirmed
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    1
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    Bayda, Yemen
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US Forces
  • May 28, 2021
  • Apr 20, 2021
  • Nov 5, 2020

  • Via email to Airwars: 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.

  • CENTCOM letter to Mwatana: "USCENTCOM acknowledges one civilian casualty in a strike on January 22nd 2019 [sic] in al Bayda, Yemen... The command determined that condolence payments were not appropriate."

  • C. U.S. military actions in Yemen USCENTCOM received 11 new reports of civilian casualties related to U.S. military operations in Yemen from years prior to 2020. As of April 2021, one report about one incident in 2019 and one report about one incident in 2017 were found to be credible.

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Sources (28) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr035-C

Incident date

March 4–5, 2017

Location

جعار, Ja'ar, Bayda', Yemen

Geolocation

14.25000, 45.83333 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Multiple sources reported that US airstrikes targeted alleged AQAP militants in or near Ja’ar, in the Sama’a area of Bayda governorate, overnight from March 4th to March 5th. One source reported a single militant casualty, and another reported that “civilians including a child” were killed as the result of overnight strikes in Bayda governorate, of which this strike was one.

According to several local language sources, including Al-Masdar Online, US F-16s conducted several strikes in the region during the night. Other sources indicated that jets were also accompanied by helicopters and drones. Two sources stated that five strikes were reported to have taken place, though another mentioned more than twenty. According to local language Twitter source @zbraqan20, one strike resulted in the death of an AQAP leader.

Another Twitter source stated that “civilians including a child” were killed as a result of overnight US strikes across Bayda governorate, though it was unclear which specific strike(s) were alleged to have resulted in civilian casualties. That alleged civilian harm report is accounted for in this event, and so minimum civilian deaths are set at two, including one child. The allegation is assessed as “weak”, however.

This reported event took place amid the 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 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.”

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child)
  • 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
    1

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Ja’ar (جعار) located within As Sawma’ah district (مديرية الصومعة), for which the coordinates are: 14.25000, 45.83333. 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
    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

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

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

Missiles Land Off Japan’s Coast

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

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

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

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

U.S. Strikes AQAP in Yemen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child)
  • 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
    1

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr073

Incident date

April 16, 2017

Location

مودية, Western outskirts of Mudiyah, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.929915, 46.079702 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US naval strike reportedly targeted an alleged AQAP site on the western outskirts of Mudiyah town, in Abyan governorate, on the evening of April 16th 2017. There were no known reported civilian or militant casualties.

According to Aden al-Ghad, a missile exploded near a medical clinic to the west of the town, according to locals, but left no casualties. This was reportedly one of two US naval strikes in Mudiyah on the evening of April 16th, with a second missile reportedly landing in the north of the town according to Yafa News.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike, Naval bombardment
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention two strikes on the outskirts of Mudiyah (مودية) town. One struck the Al Qassarat (الكسارات) area in the north, while another struck in the west, allegedly in the vicinity of a medical clinic. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Mudiyah town are: 13.929915, 46.079702.

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, Naval bombardment
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]