(Previous Incident Code: YEMT046)

Multiple sources reported that an alleged US drone strike targeted a vehicle travelling in the Wadea area of Abyan governorate on the afternoon of March 9th, killing at least one alleged AQAP militant. There are no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Most sources indicated that, according to local residents, the strike resulted in one alleged militant casualty, named in a report by Agence France Presse as Qassem Khalil, though one Twitter source did mention two alleged militant deaths.

According to Aden al-Ghad, the strike took place near the village of al-Mohajab.  Sources variously described the targeted vehicle as a motorbike or a car, and several also reported that, in the aftermath of the strike, AQAP members were seen rushing to the site.

This reported event took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP beginning in March 2017. On April 3rd, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that, from February 28th to the final week of March, 50 US airstrikes had been conducted in Yemen.