Geolocation
Airwars assessment
US drone strikes reportedly targeted alleged AQAP militants in the Mudiyah district, Abyan governorate, late on March 31st 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm, nor of alleged militant casualties in the strikes.
Sources including @demolinari and Yemeni journalist Saeed al-Batati (@saeedalBatati) reported that US drone strikes had targeted AQAP militants to the west of Mudiyah town; and journalist Ahmad Algohbary reported two drone strikes in the district.
@adammbaron tweeted that this was the third consecutive night of US air strikes in the area.
This reported event took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP in March 2017. On April 3rd, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that, from February 28th to the final week of March, 50 US military airstrikes were conducted in Yemen.
The incident occured during the night.
Summary
Sources (5) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]
Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]
Reports of the incident mention strikes in the western areas of Mudiyah (مودية) district, for which the generic coordinates are: 13.904075, 46.233215. 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.