Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Several sources reported that three US airstrikes targeted alleged AQAP sites in Wadi al-Naseel, in the Wadea area of Abyan governorate, overnight from March 28th to March 29th. There are no known associated reports of civilian or militant harm.
According to Reuters, local residents said that they had heard missile strikes on a “suspected al Qaeda outpost”, but said that the number of casualties was unknown. Some sources reported that a drone had launched the strikes, though others reported “warplanes”. According to one source, the strike came alongside another attack in Al-Quoz village (USYEMTr047), which was alleged to have taken place at around midnight.
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 (9) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]
Reports of the incident mention Wadi Al Naseel (وادي النسيل) in the south of the Al Wade’a (الوضيع) district. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the district are: 13.713333, 46.011944
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.