Conflict Data

Conflict Data

Repeat Targets in Yemen

Navigate through our assessments below to identify strikes where the same militant was reported killed multiple times, from local rumours to official security sources. These incidents reveal the lack of transparency at the heart of the US’s secretive Yemen campaign.

Repeat Targets

Repeat Target

Abdulraouf al Dahab, عبد الرؤوف الذهب

image: @shahd201062

Claimed to be killed in:


• 2 of the 4 resulted in civilian harm.

• 26 – 70 civilians killed.

Repeat Target

Said al-Shihri, سعيد الشهري

image: NBC News

Claimed to be killed in:


• 1 of the 4 resulted in civilian harm.

• 0 – 4 civilians killed.

Repeat Target

Nasser al-Wuhayshi (al-Wahishi), ناصر الوحيشي

image: Daily Mail

Claimed to be killed in:


• 1 of the 4 resulted in civilian harm.

• 1 – 2 civilians killed.

Repeat Target

Anwar al-Awlaki, أنور العولقي

image: BBC

Targeted in:


Claimed to be killed in:


• None of the incidents resulted in civilian harm.

Repeat Target

Fahd al-Qasaa, فهد القصع

image: The Independent

Targeted in:


Claimed to be killed in:


• 2 of the 5 resulted in civilian harm.

• 2 civilians killed.

Repeat Target

Qasim al Raimi, قاسم الريمي

image: AQAP video / Homeland Security Today

Targeted in:


Claimed to be killed in:


• 1 of the 3 resulted in civilian harm.

• 1 civilians killed.

Published

July 14, 2023

Written by

Megan Karlshoej-Pedersen

Header Image

UN Headquarters in Geneva (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

New UN Human Rights Council study emphasises importance of casualty recording for human rights

A breakthrough United Nations report outlining the importance of casualty recording for the protection and promotion of human rights has received nearly universal support at the Human Rights Council’s 53rd session.

The report, which linked casualty recording and human rights obligations directly, received widespread support at the council on July 3rd – with 19 states and observers expressing support for the findings and recommendations. Only one state, Venezuela, expressed objections.

The study will create pressure on states – many of which have previously expressed confusion and hesitancy regarding their obligations around casualty recording – to do more to monitor the civilian impact of conflict.

Setting the tone for the Council session, the report from the High Commissioner for Human Rights recommended that states: “ensure that casualty recording systems and policies are in place and report publicly on all casualties believed to have resulted from hostilities or violence and their circumstances, including for reparations and accountability”.

If implemented, such measures would create a global best practice around casualty monitoring. There is currently little transparency about how states record casualties from their own actions, and state militaries often face accusations of undercounting the civilian impact of their actions.

In the United Kingdom, for example, the Ministry of Defence refuses to publicly disclose details on its own mechanism for casualty recording in the war against ISIS. Airwars is challenging this position in a tribunal later this year.

The importance of casualty recording 

The High Commissioner’s report emphasised; “Casualty recording is an important and effective means of delivering on a range of fundamental human rights”. The report further notes: “In addition to disciplinary and accountability measures, such information can be used to foster compliance with international law, including by changing practices and behaviour and enhancing training to this end.”

The US delegation reflected on casualty recording in Ukraine, acknowledging that: “we still do not know the full picture. For that reason, we must advance efforts to create a comprehensive casualty recording system that accounts for all casualties, both civilian and military.”

The delegation went on to emphasise that the US is keen to “aid the international community in developing a casualty reporting mechanism at the international level to contribute to equal access to justice for all”

The support for casualty recording is particularly significant in the context of other successes for civilian protections at the UN last week. In a statement welcoming the report on casualty recording, 56 states of the ‘Group of Friends of R2P’ emphasised the connection between casualty recording and atrocity prevention.

A week earlier, a resolution was adopted at the General Assembly creating an independent institution to examine the fate of all people who are missing in Syria. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, an estimated 130,000 people have gone missing or been forcibly disappeared.

The moves at the UN follow other international assertions on the importance of casualty recording. The Explosive Weapons Declarations, signed by nearly 90 states in November last year, urges states to “record and track civilian casualties, and [ensure] the use of all practicable measures to ensure appropriate data collection.” The US’ Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMRAP), which is widely seen as one of the most ambitious and detailed national policies on this topic, highlights that “developing standardized reporting procedures for operational data to inform civilian harm assessments …will improve DoD’s ability to mitigate and respond to civilian harm.”

The work of independent civil society organisations

Airwars has been collaborating with civil society organisations, particularly Every Casualty Counts and other partners in the Casualty Recorder’s Network, to present evidence for the Human Rights Council report over the last year.

Last year, Every Casualty also released a hard hitting report outlining the requirements for casualty recording across legal regimes. It found that “international humanitarian and human rights law contain extensive requirements regarding states’ duties to account for the dead and missing in armed conflict and other situations of gross human rights violations… these duties are universally binding on all states.”

The work of these organisations was emphasised throughout the report. On the work of Airwars, the report highlighted our work with the US military and Government in particular, highlighting that: “more than 70 per cent of United States internal inquiries into civilian casualties caused by air strikes in the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq since 2014 have been based on casualty recording submitted by Airwars.”

The report also drew attention to the advocacy work of organisations like Airwars, writing: “…following years of advocacy and engagement based in part on [Airwars’] findings on casualties in Iraq, Libya, Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen, the United States Department of Defense issued the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan in August 2022.”

We welcome the findings of the report on casualty recording and the widespread support it received at the Human Rights Council last week. It brings clarity to the requirements on states and reaffirms, at an international level, the importance of accurately recording and reporting on casualties in warfare.

▲ UN Headquarters in Geneva (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Incident Code

USYEMBi012

Incident date

June 22, 2023

Location

الكور, Al-Kour, Shabwa, Yemen

Airwars assessment

Three Al Qaeda members were killed by alleged US drone strikes on the Al-Kour area in Shabwa on June 22, 2023.

26sep News reported that American strikes on the Al-Kour area in Shabwa resulted in the death of three Al Qaeda members. There are no additional details about those who were killed available.

All of the sources attributed the casualties to US strikes, with many of the sources mentioning drones.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Alleged US drone strikes in Shabwa on June 22, 2023. (Image posted by @shomokh774)

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMBi011

Incident date

June 15, 2023

Location

المصينعة, Al Musinaa, Shabwa, Yemen

Airwars assessment

An Al Qaeda leader was killed and four soldiers in the Shabwa Defense Forces were injured by alleged US drone strikes in Al Musinaa in Shabwa governorate on June 15, 2023.

A tweet from @aboalfatl2019 reported that “leader” Abu Muhammad al-Shalwani al-Awlaki was killed by American drones in Shaab Madhab in the Musinaa area. @egl3000 identified Abu Muhammad as an Al Qaeda leader, and a tweet by @ywsfl56704748 added that an American drone had bombed Al Qaeda sites in Shabwa.

While the majority of sources attribute the casualties in Musinaa to an American drone, @egl3000 mentioned a clash with the Shabwa Defense Forces while @OrintJournal reported that four soldiers of the Shabwa Defense Forces were injured in a drone attack, making it possible that the drone strikes occurred during clashes between Al Qaeda and the Shabwa Defense Forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1
  • Belligerents reported injured
    4

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Abu Muhammad Al-Shalwani Al-Awlaki, reportedly an Al Qaeda leader who was killed by alleged US drone strikes on June 17, 2023. (Image posted by @egl3000)

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1
  • Belligerents reported injured
    4

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMBi010

Incident date

February 28, 2023

Location

مرخة, Markha, Shabwa, Yemen

Airwars assessment

On February 28th 2023, a drone strike reportedly hit the Al-Alia district of Aqaba Amqwah targeting the Shabwa Defense Forces, on the border between Shabwa and Al-Bayda governorates.  Sources report that the drone strike was either a US drone or a Houthi attack.

According to most sources, one member of the Fifth Brigade in the Shabwa Defense Forces was injured. @aalnaasi also tweeted that the drone “wounded a number of recruits” but did not state how many.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Houthi Forces
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • @basheralburaiki tweeted that the Houthi forces' drone strike hit Aqaba Amqwah on February 28th 2023 (Image via Twitter)

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Houthi Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Houthi Forces
  • Houthi Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Houthi Forces
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMBi009

Incident date

February 27, 2023

Location

قرب مدرسه الفتح بمنطقة الحصون بمديريه الوادي, near Al fateh School, Al-Hosen region, Wadi Abeda district, Marib, Yemen

Airwars assessment

On February 27th 2023, a reported US drone strike hit a house near Al-Fateh School, in the Al-Hosen region of Wadi Abeda district in Marib, Yemen. According to local sources, two to three people were killed and up to one person was seriously injured.  It was widely reported that the men killed and injured were members of Al-Qaeda, including a commander of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

A source on Twitter @aalnaaasi tweeted, alongside other local and international sources, for example AFP, that that one man killed in the attack was top leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, reported to be Hamad Hammoud Al-Tamimi, also known as “Abdulaziz Al-Adnani,”

Local government sources also told AFP that the other man that died was a Yemeni bodyguard.

According to various local sources, the house was “newly rented”, only a few days to “ten days” before the strike occurred.

There has been no official release from the US declaring this strike.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–3
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–1

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • "The killing of the leader Al-Mukhal / Hamad Hammoud Al-Tamimi - known as Abdulaziz Al-Adnani - a Saudi national, in an air strike carried out by an American drone that targeted a house last Sunday in the Ma'rib Valley" As reported by @aalnaasi / Twitter
  • "According to eyewitnesses, the house was rented by two people a few days ago. The raid comes days after a prisoner exchange deal between al-Houthi and al-Qaeda." (Image via @mosher511 / Twitter)

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    0
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–3
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–1

Sources (15) [ collapse]