TAMPA, Fla. – The U.S. military conducted two additional counterterrorism strikes in July against al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula near central Yemen. A strike on July 8 killed one al-Qa’ida operative and a strike on July 16 killed six al-Qa’ida operatives and injured one. Strikes against al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen put consistent pressure on the terrorist network and prevents them from plotting and executing attacks against U.S. persons, our homeland and our allies. AQAP remains a significant threat to the region, the United States and beyond. Al-Qa’ida’s presence has a destabilizing effect on Yemen; it is using the unrest in Yemen to provide a haven from which to plan future attacks against our allies as well as the U.S. and its interests. The U.S. will not relent in its mission to degrade, disrupt and destroy al-Qa’ida and its remnants. We remain committed to defeating AQAP and denying it safe haven regardless of its location. Strikes conducted by the U.S. in Yemen continue to diminish AQAP’s presence in the region.