Conflict

U.S. Forces in Yemen

Incident Code

USYEM286

Location

Hadramaut, Yemen

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

(Previous Incident Code: YEM254 )

Three members of AQAP were killed in a US strike on Hadramout governorate, Centcom reported. There are currently no known reports of civilian harm.

This strike went unreported until late December when a US military press release declared: “A strike killed three AQAP operatives in Hadramout governorate.”

There are no other details at this time.

Key Information

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
Twenty-eight terrorists were killed in Yemen in nine strikes against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula between Sept. 23 and Dec. 13, according to a U.S. Central Command news release issued today. Seal of U.S. Central Command “AQAP is a foreign terrorist organization with a history of attacks against the United States and its allies, including the Christmas Day 2009 attempted bombing of a commercial airliner in the U.S., and the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo office massacre in Paris,” Army Maj. Josh T. Jacques, a Centcom spokesman, said in the release. “Strikes against AQAP in Yemen pressure the terrorist network and hinder their ability to attack the U.S. and our allies,” Jacques said. Dates of strikes follow: -- Sept. 23, a strike killed four AQAP operatives in Marib near al-Bayda; -- Sept. 29, in a previously reported strike, two AQAP operatives died after they were targeted in al-Baydah governorate. Originally, Centcom reported one death and one injured in the strike. It is now confirmed that the hospitalized terrorist later died of those injuries; -- Oct. 6, a strike killed two AQAP operatives in Shabwah governorate; -- Oct. 18, a strike killed six AQAP operatives in Shabwah; -- Oct. 21, a strike killed five AQAP operatives in Marib governorate; -- Nov. 20, a strike killed one AQAP operative in al-Baydah governorate -- Nov. 24, a strike killed two AQAP operatives in al-Baydah; -- Nov. 30, a strike killed three AQAP operatives in Hadramawt governorate; and -- Dec. 13, a strike killed three AQAP operatives in Marib.