Incident Code
USYEM289
Incident Date
29 December 2016
Location
Sawmaah, Al Bayda, Yemen
Airwars Assessment
Last Updated: May 7, 2026
(Previous Incident Code: YEM256 )
A US strike in al Bayda province killed two AQAP operatives, according to a US Central Command press release published on January 12th. There are currently no known reports of civilian harm.
This confirmed earlier reports of a strike in the area. Xinhua news agency reported an unnamed local military official saying a drone strike had hit a vehicle killing Jalal al Saydi and Abu Bilal al Lawdari, two al Qaeda fighters.
A security official told AFP that the strike killed al Saydi and his guard. The official described al Saydi as the “emir” of al Qaeda in the town of Loder.
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
January 11, 2017
Release Number 20170111-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAMPA, Fla. – The U.S. military conducted strikes on al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in central Yemen on Dec. 29 and Jan. 8.
On Dec. 29, one strike killed two AQAP operatives in the al-Baydah Governorate.
On Jan. 8, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate.
“Strikes against al-Qa’ida operatives in Yemen put consistent pressure on the terrorist network and prevent them from plotting and executing attacks against the U.S. and our allies,” said Army Maj. Michael N. Meyer, a U.S. Central Command spokesman. “AQAP remains a significant threat to the region, the United States, and beyond.”
The CENTCOM 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.
“U.S. Central Command remains committed to defeating AQAP and denying it safe havens in Yemen,” Meyer said.