Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Multiple sources reported that US airstrikes targeted alleged AQAP militants in al-Jasima, in the Qaifa area of Bayda governorate, overnight from March 1st to March 2nd. Mareb Press reported that the strikes killed one and wounded another, apparently with reference to alleged militants. There were no known reports of civilian casualties.
The reported strikes were allegedly conducted in conjunction with other strikes in the Qaifa area, in Yakla and Jabal Novan. According to local sources allegedly spoken with by Al Mawqea Post, US strikes in the Qaifa area continued from 4am until 7am, across many areas held by AQAP forces. These sources also reported that five AQAP members were killed and two were injured during the Qaifa strikes, naming the casualties as “Abu al-Muhajir al-Abi, Musab al-Ryashi, Hamza al-Hadrami, Abu Turab al-Hadrami, and Dujana al-Sanani”. It was unclear which of these individuals, if any, were the same as the militant allegedly killed in al-Jassima.
This reported action took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP. On March 2nd, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davies announced “more than 20 strikes targeted AQAP militants, equipment and infrastructure in the Yemeni governorates of Abyan, Al Bayda and Shabwah” early that morning. On March 3rd, the Associated Press reported that Yemeni officials and residents said that the US had conducted “dozens of airstrikes on al-Qaida targets in Yemen overnight and in the past 48 hours in one of the lengthiest, sustained operations inside this conflict-torn Arab country”.
A US military intelligence source told NBC News that the strikes were “part of ‘new directives’ to aggressively pursue the Dhahab and Qayfa clans”. Estimates of the total death toll on March 2nd varied; on March 3rd, Reuters reported that Thursday’s strikes left “at least nine” dead, while officials speaking with the Associated Press said that seven alleged militants had been killed. Oman Daily reported that 12 “suspected al-Qaeda members in Yemen” had been killed on March 2nd.
The incident occured during the night.
Summary
Sources (12) [ collapse]
Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]
Reports of the incident mention the village of Jasima (جسيمة), allegedly within the Qifah (قيفه) district, for which, due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Qifah are: 14.449335, 44.817596.
US Forces Assessment:
Original strike reports
U.S. forces conducted a series of precision strikes in Yemen against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, in the early morning of March 2 (Yemen time). More than 20 strikes targeted AQAP militants, equipment and infrastructure in the Yemeni governorates of Abyan, Al Bayda and Shabwah.
The strikes were conducted in partnership with the Government of Yemen, and were coordinated with President Hadi. The Government of Yemen is a valuable counter-terrorism partner, and we support its efforts to bring stability to the region by fighting known terrorist organizations like AQAP.
The strikes will degrade the AQAP's ability to coordinate external terror attacks and limit their ability to use territory seized from the legitimate government of Yemen as a safe space for terror plotting. Targets of the strikes included militants, equipment, infrastructure, heavy weapons systems and fighting positions.
AQAP has taken advantage of ungoverned spaces in Yemen to plot, direct, and inspire terror attacks against the United States and our allies. U.S. forces will continue to work with the Government of Yemen to defeat AQAP and deny it the ability to operate in Yemen.