Incident Code
USYEM270
Incident Date
4 August 2016
Location
Azzan, Shabwa, Yemen
Airwars Assessment
Last Updated: May 7, 2026
(Previous Incident Code: YEM239 )
The US reported it had killed three AQAP fighters in a strike in Shabwa, according to a Centcom issued a press release on August 5th. There are currently no known reports of civilian harm.
Earlier the same day, local and international news agencies reported a US strike killed between two and four people in Azzan, in Shabwa province.
The attack hit a vehicle reported to be carrying al Qaeda fighters when it stopped at a checkpoint in the city set-up by al Qaeda elements.
Military Statements
U.S. Forces Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S. Forces
U.S. Forces position on incident
Not yet assessed
U.S. Forces Strike Report
TAMPA, Fla. — The U.S. military conducted a counterterrorism strike against al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula in the Shabwah Governorate in central Yemen.
The strike, conducted on August 4, killed three al-Qa’ida operatives.
Strikes against al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen put consistent pressure on the terrorist network and prevent 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.