Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Multiple sources reported that a US drone strike took place in Al Quoz village, in the Mudiyah district of Abyan governorate, overnight from March 28th to March 29th, killing four alleged AQAP militants in a vehicle. There are no known associated reports of civilian harm.
According to Reuters, local residents said that the strike took place at around midnight, leaving the vehicle burning with four bodies inside. News agency AFP and local- language Twitter sources reported that two missiles were fired at the vehicle from a suspected US drone.
This reported event took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP beginning in early March 2017. On April 3rd, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that, from February 28th to the final week of March, 50 US airstrikes were conducted in Yemen.
The incident occured around midnight.
Summary
Sources (18) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]
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Four alleged AQAP militants were reportedly killed in a US drone strike in Al-Quoz village. After the strike, AQAP reportedly released these photos of the casualties (@bjoernstritzel, 31st March 2017)
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Four alleged AQAP militants were reportedly killed in a US drone strike in Al-Quoz village. After the strike, AQAP reportedly released these photos of the casualties (@bjoernstritzel, 31st March 2017)
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Four alleged AQAP militants were reportedly killed in a US drone strike in Al-Quoz village. After the strike, AQAP reportedly released these photos of the casualties (@bjoernstritzel, 31st March 2017)
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Four alleged AQAP militants were reportedly killed in a US drone strike in Al-Quoz village. After the strike, AQAP reportedly released these photos of the casualties (@bjoernstritzel, 31st March 2017)
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the village of Al Qouz (القوز), for which the coordinates are: 13.88921, 46.14929. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
US Forces Assessment:
Original strike reports
The U.S. military conducted airstrikes over eastern Yemen during the weekend, targeting the sites of extremist group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, director of Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters today.
“We continue to target [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] in Yemen, and this is done in the interest of disrupting a terror organization that presents a very significant threat to the United States,” Davis said.
Strikes Target Terrorists
During the weekend in Yemen’s Shabwah governorate, the precision airstrikes targeted al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorists, as well as the terrorists’ infrastructure, fighting positions and equipment, the spokesman said.
The airstrikes follow the late-January U.S. raid in Yemen during which a U.S. service member died. From Feb. 28 through last week, some 50 airstrikes were conducted, Davis noted.
The weekend airstrikes, which were largely unmanned, bring the total to 70, he said.