US Forces in Yemen

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

Belligerent
US Forces
Country
Yemen
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Strike Status
Strike Type
Infrastructure

Incident Code

USYEM062-C

Incident date

April 18, 2012

Location

لودر, Lawdar, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.88149, 45.868922 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed, and two injured, in an alleged US or Yemeni strike on Loder, April 18th, that also purportedly killed six militants, sources said. A tweet from @fhgfdgdd and @BRQNews1 reported that the son of Tariq al-Fadli was among the dead militants, which was also reported by Yafanews.

Reuters reported that “Loder residents told Reuters one person was also killed and another two injured after mortar rounds hit their houses.”

The air strike near the southern village of Loder killed at least six militants, according to a Defence Ministry statement.

Reuters could not independently confirm who launched the strike and AFP said the Yemeni government did not say if the air force or US drones were responsible. The warplanes were identified as being Yemeni in the Yafanews’ article.

Xinhua reported the attack destroyed a number of armoured vehicles captured by the militants.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    6

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention that a military camp southeast of the town of Lawdar (لودر) was targeted in the Abyan governorate. The generic coordinates for the town of Lawdar (لودر) are: 13.88149, 45.868922. 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
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    6

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr097

Incident date

August 19, 2017

Location

Yakla, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

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

Airwars assessment

US airstrikes reportedly targeted alleged AQAP militants travelling in Yakla, east of the Qifah area of Bayda governorate, early on the morning of August 19th 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Several sources suggested that US helicopters and warplanes, reportedly including drones and “vertical fighters” [possibly USMC Harriers], targeted four suspected AQAP cars on the main road in the area.

One source, Albedeel, reported that Xinhua news agency had spoken with a “local source”, who said that US drones bombed both fixed and mobile targets, resulting in “human and material losses”. Airwars has therefore assessed that at least one AQAP militant was reportedly killed in the strike. The original reported Xinhua story could not be found.

A few sources suggested that, according to local residents, the strikes came alongside or after an attempted US troop landing. Al Masdar Online reported that “earlier that day, Apache helicopters had attempted to carry out an airdrop of US forces, but armed tribesmen were able to prevent them”.

The incident occured around dawn.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the vicinity of Yakla (يكلا‎) village, east of the Qifah (قيفه) area. 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:

  • 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
    1

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr201

Incident date

July 4, 2019

Location

بيت الشيخ سلطان العرادة, House of Sheikh Sultan Al Arada, Ma'rib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.411917, 45.374541 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Several local language sources reported that a US drone strike targeted the house of Marib provincial governor, Sheikh Sultan Al Arada, at dawn on July 4th 2019. Others, including Yemeni government officials, instead asserted that the strike was conducted by Houthi militias with a ballistic missile. There were varying assessments of casualties resulting from the strike, though there were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

On October 4th 2019, US Central Command told New America that no new US military strikes had been conducted in Yemen since June 24th 2019. This may not however preclude this having been a CIA action, or a clandestine US military action.

Local sources told Sahaftak and Yemen Press Agency that a US drone had targeted the building while Khaled Ali Al-Arada, an alleged AQAP member and the brother of Marib governor Sultan, was present. According to some, including Sahaftak, Khaled was presenting to other AQAP leaders at the time of the strike. Some, such as Almandeb, indicated that the apparent accuracy and high destructive capacity of the missile indicated that it was of American origin. In 2017, the US had imposed sanctions on Khaled for facilitating the transport of weapons and persons in support of Al-Qaeda.

Marib and Yemeni government sources instead stated, including through a statement published on the Marib administration’s website, that a Houthi missile had targeted the building. Houthi armed forces acknowledged that missile attacks and airstrikes had been conducted against “military targets” in Marib on that morning via Masirah TV, a Houthi-run media outlet, but did not explicitly take responsibility for this particular attack. Others, including Yafa News, indicated that the Al-Ashraf tribes, who had allegedly been fighting nearby, may have been responsible.

The state news agency, Saba, reported that “the missile attack completely destroyed the Governor’s home and damaged several other adjoining houses in Wadi district in southeastern Marib”, but resulted in no casualties, according to Xinhua. Some local-language Twitter sources, such as @Abd_ulbast, also indicated that there were no casualties. Yafa News and others, however, suggested that local media had reported a “number” of “terrorist” militants killed in the strike, including Khaled Al-Arada.

Given these conflicting claims, Airwars has assessed this event to be “contested”, with reports of between zero and two militant deaths. While no civilians were reportedly harmed, one local source raised concerns that the strike had been in close proximity to the nearby Kara hospital.

The incident occured around dawn.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, 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
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–2

Sources (30) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • A strike, which some alleged to be American, reportedly targeted the Marib Governor's home on July 4th 2019 (Sahaftak, July 4th 2019)
  • Some sources alleged that the precision of the missile attack was indicative of an American drone strike (Alnqabialjanubi, July 5th 2019)
  • Sources suggested that the strike targeted Khaled Al-Arada (pictured with Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen), an alleged AQAP leader and brother of Marib Governor Sultan Al-Arada (@adm_omer, July 5th 2019)
  • Others, including Yemeni government officials, instead alleged that Houthi forces were responsible for the strike (@ahmeedahmed078, July 4th 2019)

Geolocation notes (4) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a reception hall being struck in Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة), in vicinity of what some sources claim as the “Kara” area, east of Ma’rib (مأرب) city. Combining visual material from sources we have been able to identify the exact location of the strike at these coordinates: 15.411917, 45.374541.

  • Reports of the incident mention a reception hall being struck in Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة), in vicinity of what some sources claim as the “Kara” area, east of Ma’rib (مأرب) city. Combining visual material from sources we have been able to identify the exact location of the strike.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Satellite imagery from May 2019 (right) shows evidence of structural damage. The photo on the left is from December 2018.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Tagged satellite imagery.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • Tagged imagery from source.

    Imagery:
    @ahmeedahmed078

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces

On October 4, 2019, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) replied to an email inquiry from New America confirming that “the last strike conducted by CENTCOM in Yemen was 24 June.” Per that statement, there were no CENTCOM strikes in Yemen in September 2019.

The lack of strikes in September makes it more than three months since the last U.S. military counterterrorism strike in Yemen, according to New America’s research. However, it is possible that the United States has conducted covert non-military strikes, and in recent years there have been a small number of strikes attributed by media reports to the United States that CENTCOM has denied conducting.

Houthi Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Houthi Forces

Urgent March Spokesman #The Armed Forces: A joint operation this morning for the Air Force and Missile Force on military targets belonging to the invaders and their mercenaries in the Governorate of Marib

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, 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
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–2

Sources (30) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr165-C

Incident date

May 1–14, 2018

Location

شبوة, Shabwa, Yemen

Geolocation

14.695997, 46.957239 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Province/governorate level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An investigator indicated to the UK legal charity Reprieve that two men were killed by a US strike in Shabwa during early May 2018. No other known sources reported the strike. Reprieve shared its information on this reported strike with Airwars.

According to the investigator, both men were mediating a tribal dispute in the area at the time, and were targeted by a strike as they went for lunch with one of the tribes, having reached a temporary settlement.

According to Reprieve’s field notes: “their vehicle was hit on their way to the lunch. We never received the names or details of those killed. The US does not appear to have specifically acknowledged this strike.”

No further details are presently known.

The incident occured around midday.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • 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
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the governorate of Shabwa (شبوة), for which the generic coordinates are: 14.695997, 46.957239. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention the governorate of Shabwa (شبوة).

    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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • 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
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMBi010

Incident date

February 28, 2023

Location

مرخة, Markha, Shabwa, Yemen

Airwars assessment

On February 28th 2023, a drone strike reportedly hit the Al-Alia district of Aqaba Amqwah targeting the Shabwa Defense Forces, on the border between Shabwa and Al-Bayda governorates.  Sources report that the drone strike was either a US drone or a Houthi attack.

According to most sources, one member of the Fifth Brigade in the Shabwa Defense Forces was injured. @aalnaasi also tweeted that the drone “wounded a number of recruits” but did not state how many.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Houthi Forces
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • @basheralburaiki tweeted that the Houthi forces' drone strike hit Aqaba Amqwah on February 28th 2023 (Image via Twitter)

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, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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, Houthi Forces
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM019-C

Incident date

June 18, 2011

Location

جعار, Ja'ar, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.223161, 45.305486 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between five and six civilians were injured in alleged US airstrikes or drone strikes on the neighborhood of Ja’ar and possibly other locations in Abyan governorate on June 18, 2011.

Marepress reported that American planes attacked civilian areas and focused attacks on Zinjibar and Jaar. Raids were also launched by US drones in Al-Rai neighborhood. According to the report, five civilians were wounded but there were no reports of any Al Qaeda operatives injured. Hussein Al-Yafai (@crazyyafai) tweeted that “American planes injure six people in Abyan while aiming for Al Qaeda targets”. @Sada_Aden mentioned that the preacher of the Jaar Mosque “survived the assassination.”

A tweet from @alguneid specifically referenced airstrikes against the farm of “so called jihadist” Khaled A Nabi at 10am, thought they caused no damage.

No other details were able on the victims of the strikes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–6
  • 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)

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Ja’ar (جعار) in Abyan governorate. The coordinates for Ja’ar are: 13.223161, 45.305486.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Civilians reported injured
    5–6
  • 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)

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM064-B

Incident date

April 21, 2012

Location

جبل يسوف, Jabal (Mount) Yasuf, Abyan, Yemen

Geolocation

13.894167, 45.889444 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between eight to 17 Al Qaeda militants were killed and five others were injured in an alleged Yemeni or US air strike in the southeastern province of Abyan on the outskirts of the town of Lawdar, on the 21st of April 2012 in the evening. There have been no reports of civilian harm.

Yemen’s Defense Ministry claimed that 17 alleged Al-Qaeda militants were killed in a house hosting a gathering near Lawder.

However, an official told Xinhua that the attack was undertaken by two fighter jets who killed 12 and injured five alleged militants.

The Yemen Defense Ministry announced that 17 suspected militants were killed in a hideout and witnesses added that three were killed when a vehicle caught fire on a road in Samda located between Jouf and Marib due to a missile strike. They added that others were injured in the vehicle. KUNA counted the destruction of three vehicles.

The Yemen Post reports that the attack killed 11 and destroyed military vehicles. The lowest casualty estimate was provided by @MayaSlman, who tweeted that eight Al Qaeda members were killed.

While multiple sources refer to Yemen officials announcing that their air force carried out the strikes, it is unclear whether the airstrikes were carried out by Yemen or by US drones as AFP notes. As Wikileaks from this time period reveal, in some cases the Yemeni government was instructed to take credit for airstrikes carried out by the US.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    8–17
  • Belligerents reported injured
    5

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention that militant hideouts were targeted in the Jabal (Mount) Yasuf (جبل يسوف) area and Al Maniasa area near the town of Lawdar (لودر) in the Abyan governorate. Airwars was not able to locate the Al Maniasa area, however, the coordinates for Jabal Yasuf (جبل يسوف) are: 13.894167, 45.889444.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Yemeni Air Force Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    8–17
  • Belligerents reported injured
    5

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM110-B

Incident date

June 25, 2012

Location

بئر حميد, Bir Hamid, Aden, Yemen

Geolocation

13.0327780, 44.9158330 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On June 25th, 2012, a declared US drone strike hit two vehicles in the outskirts of Aden in Bir Hamid at dawn. Three alleged AQAP members were killed, while several others were wounded. There are currently no known reports of civilian harm.

The identities of those killed were not reported, but a source told the BBC that “among the dead was a prominent leader in the organization”. A security official said a drone fired two missiles on a convoy which destroyed their pick-up truck, and killed the three militants believed to be affiliated with Al Qaeda including one senior commander. A US intelligence official confirmed American involvement to The Long War Journal, but would not say if a CIA or military drone carried out the strikes.

Additionally, Marebpress, BBC and Yemen Post mentioned that several militants were left wounded. Locals told Yemen Fox that they heard explosions and saw flames rising, but saw no bodies, adding that “other militants came and entered the area believed to pick up bodies of their colleagues.”

Military officials said the vehicles had been pursued by US drones, causing fear among local residents who worried the drones would bring destruction to their region. The vehicle was targeted on a desert road on the edge of the strategically important city of Aden. The convoy was hit as it travelled away from Abyan province.

A security official speaking anonymously to Xinhua said that “Two missiles bombed an Al Qaeda convoy, destroying a small pick-up truck and killing all passengers inside,” the security official said, adding that “They were coming from neighbouring Abyan province, where army troops seized control of the Al Qaeda bastions.

The BBC, Xinhua and the Long War Journal reported that this was the first strike in Aden.

Due to the nature of both CIA and US military involvement in Yemen, and the lack of official acknowledgement by the CIA for their involvement, Airwars grades this event as “declared” due to the comments made by US government sources to media, in lieu of public reporting on CIA actions.

The incident occured in the morning.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • 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
    3
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention that the strike occurred on a desert road in the Beer Hameed (Bir Hamid/Bir Humayd) (بئر حميد) area, in the outskirts of the port city Aden (عدن). The vehicle that was targeted was traveling from the neighbouring Abyan province towards Aden. The generic coordinates for the Bir Hamid (بئر حميد) area are: 13.0327780, 44.9158330. Due to limited information and satellite imagery 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

Long War Journal, June 26th, 2012:

"A US intelligence official contacted by The Long War Journal confirmed the strike, but would not comment on the nature of the target; nor would the official say if the attack was carried out by the CIA or the US military."

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • 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
    3
  • Belligerents reported injured
    2

Sources (14) [ collapse]