Geolocation
Airwars assessment
At least one US drone strike reportedly targeted alleged AQAP militants in Mashreif, on the border between Bayda and Marib governorates, overnight from August 20th-21st 2019, resulting in deaths and injuries. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.
Several sources, including Sky New Arabia and Yafa News, simply indicated that a drone had targeted an AQAP site, though some, such as Yemen Press Agency, indicated that multiple positions had been targeted. Sources told Yen News that the site was an AQAP training camp, near the Yakla area.
The strike was variously described as having taken place on August 20th or August 21st. One source, YPA Agency, indicated that it took place on the night of August 20th. As such, Airwars has assessed that the event took place at some time overnight.
One source, Yemen Shabab, suggested that three alleged AQAP militants were killed by a US drone strike on August 22nd in the same area. It is possible that this reflects late reporting of this event, though a discrete incident assessment, USYEMTr204, has been created to account for that report.
Excluding this, no specific information on casualties was given by any known sources. Airwars has assessed that at least two militants were reportedly killed, and two reportedly injured, accounting for reports of plural “deaths and injuries” given by sources including Yemen Press Agency and Sky News Arabia.
When, in September 2019, Airwars asked US Central Command whether they had conducted this specific reported strike, it was denied that any strikes had been conducted since June 24th. On October 4th 2019, US Central Command also told New America that no US military strikes had been conducted since June 24th 2019. This did not however preclude this having been a possible CIA action, or a clandestine US military action.
The incident occured during the night.
Summary
Sources (27) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]
Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]
Reports of the incident mention that the strike took place in the Mashreif (المشيريف) area, on the border between the Bayda and Marib governorates. The Mashreif (المشيريف) area is a valley at these coordinates: 14.7964580, 45.0407720. LiveUAMap reported the incident at these coordinates: 14.583333, 45.383333, which is more to the east, however, it is unclear if this is a precise location.
US Forces Assessment:
Original strike reports
On October 4, 2019, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) replied to an email inquiry from New America confirming that “the last strike conducted by CENTCOM in Yemen was 24 June.” Per that statement, there were no CENTCOM strikes in Yemen in September 2019.