(Previous Incident Code: YEM177)

During the morning of the 6th December 2014, the US confirmed that it conducted a joint airdrop operation with Yemeni special forces, a ground attack by marines and a bombardment to attempt a hostage rescue which resulted in the death of two of the hostages, reportedly at the hands of the al-Qaeda militants, along with eight civilians and between two and 10 al-Qaeda militants allegedly killed by US forces during clashes.

Initial local reporting and statements from the Yemeni Ministry of Defense stated that 10 Al-Qaeda militants had been killed in the operation, along with another wounded, and that the hostage had been released. However, ultimately it was reported that two hostage, American journalist Luke Sommers and South African Teacher Pierre Korkie, were killed during the operation. According to the US military and other international sources, including the New York Times, both hostages were “killed by their captors, militants from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, when they realized the rescue effort was underway”.

The US Department of Defense released a statement that “U.S. Special Operations forces were close to the Yemeni compound when al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula terrorists detected them and murdered American Luke Somers and another Western hostage.President Barack Obama approved the rescue attempt early Dec. 5, the official said on background. Interagency officials had such confidence in the intelligence that they unanimously recommended the rescue operation to the president.”  According to the US military, both hostages were still alive when US forces entered the building but both died from their injuries, adding “There is zero possibility that the hostages were victims of cross fire. This was an execution.”

Two separate Yafa News articles quoted eyewitnesses who saw the airdrop taking place in Hafreh and Hitch, in the Wadi Abadan area of Nisab in Shabwa. The first article referenced eyewitness accounts of shootings at three houses during clashes between the US forces and Al-Qaeda: the “Al-Hard family and the Al-Louj family, as well as the Daggar (al-Daghari) family” and reported that as a result, eight civilians were killed. The second article by Yafa News named the eight killed as Hajj Abdullah Louj al-Daghari, Ammar Laouj al-Daghari, Fahd Ahmad al-Hard al-Daghari, Nasser Ahmad al-Hard al-Daghari, Ahmed Mubarak al-Hard al-Daghari, Jamal Mubarak al-Hard al-Daghari, and Salih Mubarak al-Hard al-Daghari. Based on Yafa News’ other classification of those killed from the families as civilians, and their note that the homes were not known to belong to al-Qaeda, all have been classified as civilians until further information comes to light.

The New York Times also spoke with a tribal leader, Tarek al-Daghari al-Awlaki, who said “the American commandos had raided four houses, killing at least two militants but also eight civilians. He said that one of the civilians killed was a 70-year-old man.” Tribal leader Tarek added that “nine of the dead are from my tribe”, which was corroborated by source @AAidros23 which stated that “Nine members of the Awaliq (al-Awlaki) tribe were killed and several others wounded”.

The US military’s official toll is that six AQAP terrorists were killed and that there were no casualties to Yemeni civilians. According to a tribal source speaking to Xinhua News, a US drone shot two missiles at a gathering of 13 mid-level al-Qaida members who were holding a meeting, resulting in the death of 10 militants and the injury of three others. Twitter sources including Al Hadath placed the death toll as 9 “al-Qaeda fighters” as a result of a drone strike.

Twitter/X account abn_ataq posted graphic images of six deceased men identified as the “victims of the American commandos” and at least six bodies wrapped in white burial shrouds – they are not identified as civilians or militants. Source abn_ataq also posted images of men digging graves in the Wadi Abadan Cemetery for the victims of the “American landing battle”.

Local accounts quoted in Yafa News described the operation as “violent clashes taking place for hours”, and heard “intense flight of aircraft” for two days prior to the attack. Your Middle East cited eyewitness accounts of “foreign soldiers of unknown nationality parachuting in”. Yemen Press referenced reports by an Al Jazeera correspondent that the militants were killed in raids that preceded the on-ground clashes between the marines and Al-Qaeda operatives. Saeed Thabet, director of Al-Jazeera’s office in Yemen, reported clashes lasting for 1 to 2 hours, while the US military said that the operation “lasted about a half-hour, with the most difficult and intense portion lasting about 10 minutes”.

Twitter source @Ahmed2012421 noted that two Apache aircrafts and two unmanned aerial vehicles accompanying the airdrop. According to the Department of Defense, “Under the cover of darkness, Special Operations forces infiltrated from CV-22 Ospreys near the remote compound in the Shabwah governate, officials said. The terrain was difficult and illumination lacking. AQAP terrorists detected the special operators as they began their final approach on foot to the compound and they began firing wildly at the Americans.Special operators quickly entered the compound, approached the building and entered it where Somers and the other hostage were held, officials said. Military officials believe a terrorist entered the building where the hostages were held and exited soon after.”