Incident Code
USYEM277
Incident Date
22 September 2016
Location
Sawmaa district, Al Bayda, Yemen
Airwars Assessment
Last Updated: May 7, 2026
(Previous Incident Code: YEM245 )
As many as three AQAP operatives were killed in airstrikes on Sawmaa district, sources said. There are currently no known reports of civilian harm.
A CENTCOM press release on September 28th said: “Another strike, Sept. 22 in the al Baydah Governorate, killed two other al- Qa’ida operatives.”
AFP cited security officials saying that three al Qaeda suspects had been killed, including a mid-ranking commander who was not named.
Reuters reported an unnamed security official saying that regional commander Abdallah al-Sanaani was killed alongside his bodyguard.
Military Statements
U.S. Forces Assessment
Known belligerent
U.S. Forces
U.S. Forces position on incident
Not yet assessed
U.S. Forces Strike Report
The U.S. military successfully struck two al-Qa'ida targets in central Yemen in the past week.
One strike, in the Marib Governorate Sept. 20, killed two operatives of al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula.
Another strike, Sept. 22 in the al Baydah Governorate, killed two other al- Qa'ida operatives.
"These were al-Qa'ida operatives who continue to support their organization's destabilizing effects in Yemen," said Army Maj. Josh T. Jacques, U.S. Central Command spokesman. "U.S. Central Command continues to protect the U.S., its allies and partners from these threats by denying Yemen as a haven for AQAP."
The USCENTCOM mission is to direct and enable military operations and activities with allies and partners to increase regional security and stability in support of enduring U.S. interests.
USCENTCOM will not relent in its mission to degrade and defeat al-Qa'ida and its remnants, Jacques said. Al-Qa'ida and its associated movements remain a significant threat.