Airwars assessment
At least five AQAP militants were reportedly killed in the course of at least four alleged US drone strikes in Qayfa, Bayda governorate, on the evening of January 12th 2018. According to local language news sources, strikes reportedly targeted the area of Al-Jassima. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.
A source told Russia Today Arabic that strikes had targeted Al-Jassima, among other sites. Local language sources including Aden Lang and Akhbar Al-Aan also reported strikes in Al-Jassima.
There were also reports of strikes in Jabal Novan, Dhi Kalb, and Hami Liqah areas of Qayfa on January 12th. Unique events have been created to account for these reports.
Several sources indicated that strikes in Qayfa on the 12th resulted in a number of militant deaths and injuries. Locals reportedly told Al Yom Press that “the raids targeted a site for the militants as well as a car belonging to them, and resulted in deaths and injuries”. Two English-language sources, @demolinari and @switch_d, further named one of the dead as Jawas Ahmed. These reports are accounted for in event USYEMTr132.
In an email to the Long War Journal, a US Central Command spokesperson confirmed that a strike took place against AQAP in Bayda on January 12th. There were no known reports of strikes against AQAP outside of Qayfa on that day. This confirmation has been accounted for in event USYEMTr132, though it could have applied to any or all of the reported strikes in Qayfa, Bayda, on January 12th.
The incident occured in the evening.
Summary
Sources (24) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]
Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]
Reports on the incident mention the village of Al Jassima (الجسيمة) in the Al Quraishyah District (مديريه القريشيه), for which the generic coordinates of the ladder are: 14.590694, 44.920478. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
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Reports on the incident mention the village of Al Atf (العطف) in the Al Quraishyah District (مديريه القريشيه), for which the generic coordinates of the ladder are: 14.590694, 44.920478. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Imagery:Google Earth