(Previous Incident Code: YEMT174)

A single source, Aden News, suggested that US airstrikes had targeted AQAP sites in the Shibam district of Hadramout governorate, on the evening of November 2nd 2018.

Aden News reported the following: “Urgent:  Explosion on the express line of the Shibam Hadramout Directorate  and citizens talk about a drone strike. Local residents  in the Shibam district of Hadramout governorate – east of Yemen – said that they heard  a  violent explosion shortly before in the district. The residents confirmed that the preliminary information indicates a drone strike that targeted a car of what is believed to be carrying Al-Qaeda operatives in  the direct line of the directorate. And American planes had launched Friday evening raids targeting the alleged sites of al-Qaeda in the  vicinity of Shibam district, according to local sources.”

There were no further known public reports of strikes at that time, and no information on alleged casualties was available.

In January 2019, US Central Command asserted that it conducted no actions in November 2018: “No strikes were conducted in Yemen in October, November, and December.” This may not however preclude a CIA or Saudi-led Coalition action.