US airstrikes reportedly targeted alleged AQAP camps in the Mogan area of Al Maraqisha, Abyan governorate, overnight from April 2nd to April 3rd 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm, or of belligerent casualties.

According to Aden al-Ghad, a warplane launched several missiles at various locations in the area. Some sources such as Yemenat instead claimed that the strikes had been carried out by a drone.

This reported event took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP, beginning in March 2017. On April 3rd, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that, since February 28th 2017, 70 US airstrikes were conducted in Yemen.

The incident occured during the night.

US drone strikes reportedly targeted a large gathering of alleged AQAP militants near Al Shubayka, north of Ataq in Shabwa governorate, at around midnight from April 1st to April 2nd 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Several sources reported that the strikes targeted a meeting of AQAP leaders in Al-Shubayka village, on the outskirts of Ataq, with illumination shells fired in the area to track the militants. For example Salmashad reported that “air strikes targeed al-Qaeda members in the village of Al-Shabik, north of Ataq, Shabwa governorate, after intelligence was obtained suggesting a meeting of the leaders of the organization.” The same source claimed that the attack continued against alleged AQAP militants fleeing the village by car, though no known sources mentioned the number of militant casualties, if any.

Some sources, for example Yafa News, described the strikes as preventing an attack by militant vehicles on nearby Ataq airport, though the reasoning for these reports was unclear.

This reported event took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP, beginning in early March 2017. On April 3rd 2017, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that, since February 28th 2017, 70 US airstrikes were conducted in Yemen.

The incident occured around midnight.

A reported airstrike targeted alleged AQAP militants to the west of Ahwar town, Abyan governorate, on April 1st 2017.  There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Some sources reported that the strike came alongside an additional two actions on a farm to the east of Ahwar (USYEMTr063), indicating that the strike took place early on April 1st. According to the Aden Times, the strike targeted “locations where al-Qaeda groups gathered”.

Sources varied in assigning responsibility to a particular belligerent. Some described the strikes as US or American, while others indicated that Arab coalition aircraft “backed by US drones” were responsible. Airwars has therefore assessed this strike as “contested”.

This reported strike took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP, starting in early March 2017. On April 3rd 2017, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that, since February 28th 2017, 70 US airstrikes were conducted in Yemen.

The incident occured in the morning.

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.

Reported US drone strikes targeted alleged AQAP militants in the Al Bazqama and Riman area of Mudiyah, Abyan governorate at dawn on March 31st 2017.  There were no known reports of civilian casualties, though some sources claimed that a civilian farm had been destroyed.

Alittihad reported that, according to a local source, three strikes took place, one of which targeted and killed AQAP militants, including a “field leader”, travelling in a car near a farm near Al Bazqama area. It was also reported that, according to local officials, the strike targeted AQAP training and “positioning” sites.

Local language sources, for example al Sharq, reported that a single AQAP operative was killed in a drone strike in the same Bazgama area – some said, while travelling in a vehicle. It was unclear whether this referred to the same strike against a vehicle reported by Alittihad.

Aden Now News suggested that US airstrike targeted a chicken farm, “used to manufacture improvised explosive devices and car bombs”, also in the Al Bazqama area, though other Twitter sources said that it was instead a civilian family farm. It is possible that this strike was the same as that which reportedly targeted AQAP militants near to a farm in Al Bazqama.

Airwars has assessed the minimum number of alleged belligerent casualties as two, drawing on the Alittihad report that plural militants were killed, and reflecting the possibility that the single reported AQAP militant death in a vehicle referred to the same strike. The maximum has been set at three, reflecting the possibility that these were discrete casualty incidents.

Assessments of the total number of strikes in the area varied.  One Twitter source reported that four US drone strikes took place in Mudiyah on that morning, targeting “suspected #AQAP militant sites and a vehicle”, while Alittihad suggested that three took place in Al Bazqamah and Riman.  Others suggested that two strikes targeted Al Bazqamah and Riman areas, with a third targeting Mudiyah city centre.

This strike allegedly took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP, beginning in early March 2017. On April 3rd, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that, from February 28th to the final week of March, fifty US airstrikes were conducted in Yemen.

The incident occured around dawn.

Several sources reported that a US drone strike in Al Wade’a district, Abyan governorate, targeted the home of alleged AQAP leader Abu Ubaidah al-Damaji at around dawn on March 31st 2017. There were no known reports of civilian harm.

Sources indicated that it was unclear whether al-Damaji or any others died in the strike on his house, and other reports suggested that he died in another reported US strike, on the same night, against a vehicle in Bayda governorate.

It is possible that this strike was one of several that targeted the Al-Muhajjab area of Al Wade’a from March 30th to March 31st (see for example USYEMTr056).

According to @demolinari, residents reported that several of overnight strikes in Al Wade’a did not kill any AQAP militants, but did damage electrical lines.  Local sources told Aden al-Ghad that the last strike against al-Damaji resulted in an electrical blackout in Al Wade’a and the surrounding area.

This reported event took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP beginning in early March 2017. On April 3rd, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that, from February 28th to the final week of March, fifty US airstrikes were conducted in Yemen.

The incident occured around dawn.

A reported US drone strike targeted alleged AQAP militants travelling in a vehicle on the road connecting Wadi Nakhla to Al Suhail, in the Sirwah district of Marib governorate, early on March 30th 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

While most sources indicated that the strike was launched by a US drone, one did assign it to “Saudi-American aggression”.  Multiple sources reported that the vehicle was targeted while travelling on the Al Suhail and Nakhla road. Some claimed that the vehicle was carrying “heavy weapons”.

Images from the scene show total destruction of the vehicle, indicating that those inside were killed. Airwars has therefore set the belligerent toll at one to two deaths in this case. Images of the scene also enabled Airwars precisely to geolocate this incident (see below.)

This reported event took place amid a dramatic intensification of US operations against AQAP beginning in early March 2017. On April 3rd, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said that, from February 28th to the final week of March, fifty US airstrikes were conducted in Yemen.

The incident occured between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm local time.