Geolocation
Airwars assessment
According to local Yemen officials, three areas in Zinjibar were struck by alleged US drone strikes or Yemeni military strikes, killing 29 to 30 Al Qaeda fighters and wounding dozens others on March 22, 2012.
The website Arab Monitor stated that “dozens” were wounded in the attacks, which targeted alleged Al Qaeda bases. No other sources specified how many militants were wounded in the strikes. Witnesses also said that a “warplane also fired a missile at three vehicles of the Al Qaeda group in downtown Zinjibar carrying foreign fighters”.
Associated Press reported that 29 militants had been killed in a “rocket and artillery barrage, spread out over a 24-hour period” which ended on the night of Thursday March 22nd.
Naval vessels also allegedly took part in the extended bombardment, which some sources claimed were the work of the US Navy. The Pentagon later said that: “No American warships from the service’s Fifth Fleet or elsewhere in the region were involved in those operations.”
Akhbarelyoum reported that Yemeni military officials said that the strikes were carried out by the Yemeni Navy from boats in the Arabian Sea, and killed 29 Al Qaeda militants.
Xinhua reported that the strike was carried out by a U.S. drone, and killed “at least 30 fighters.” The source reported that the strike hit “two positions in Zinjibar city” as well as three vehicles in downtown Zinjibar. The source reported that the strike followed the suspected Al Qaeda killing of a Yemeni military officer.
Arab Monitor reported that US drones carried out the strike, and killed at least 30 people. This source also reported that both static positions and vehicles were struck. The vehicles were reported to be driving through the city centre. The source also stated that the strikes followed a killing of a “senior Yemeni Intelligence officer” the day before by armed fighters.
@Albaidanews tweeted that Ansar al-Sharia, the group that includes Al Qaeda’s arm in Yemen, denied that any fighters were killed in the strike.
While Arab Monitor reported that the strikes were carried out by US drones, Akhbarelyoum identified the Yemeni Navy as being responsible for the bombardment. The Associated Press put the death toll at 29 Al Qaeda fighters, while Xinhua reported 30 fighters killed. No source reported any civilian harm.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention that three vehicles were targeted in downtown Zinjibar (زنجبار). Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the town of Zinjibar (زنجبار) are: 13.129059, 45.380422.