Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

USYEMTr005

Incident date

January 26, 2017

Location

الحرج, Al Haraj, Shabwa, Yemen

Geolocation

14.76667, 46.73333 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A US airstrike reportedly killed three alleged AQAP militants, “including a leader”, in the Al Haraj area of Jardan district, in Shabwa governorate, according to various sources. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Critical Threats, for example, asserted that “A reported U.S. airstrike killed three al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants in al Haraj area, central Shabwah governorate on January 26.”

According to Saad Al-Wadi, the strike targeted a car in the desert area, fifty kilometres from the city of Ataq.

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 (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Al Haraj (الحرج) area, within the Jardan (جردان) district of Shabwa (شبوة) province. There is no indication of a defined boundary for this area, therefore, we have assigned the following generic coordinates; 14.76667, 46.73333. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Al Haraj (الحرج) area, within the Jardan (جردان) district of Shabwa (شبوة) province.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

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 (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr004

Incident date

January 22, 2017

Location

مديرية الصومعة, al Sama'a, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.166667, 45.831111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A number of reports indicated that a US drone strike on January 22nd had killed one AQAP member in Bayda province. There were no known associated reported civilian casualties.

Reuters reported that a strike against a car in al-Sama’a district had resulted in the death of one suspected AQAP member, based on official and local sources. A number of sources reported that a militant named as Tufayl al-Ta’izi had been killed by a US drone strike, and that AQAP had acknowledged this.

US Central Command later confirmed that a strike had been conducted on January 22nd, resulting in the death of one AQAP “operative”.

Due to the geographical proximity to other reported US strikes in the same time period, it is possible that some sources listed for this strike instead refer to one or more other strikes from 20th-22nd January 2017.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Destroyed car, allegedly the target of a US drone strike on 22nd January 2017
  • A possible alleged picture of the strike location, posted by a local language source over a month after the alleged strike date (@marjalhaq, February 28th 2020)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma’a (مديرية الصومعة), for which the generic coordinates are: 14.166667, 45.831111. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma’a (مديرية الصومعة)

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

TAMPA, Fla. — The U.S. military conducted strikes on al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in central Yemen on Jan. 20, 21 and 22.

On Jan. 20, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate.

On Jan. 21, one strike killed three AQAP operatives in the al-Baydah Governorate.

On Jan. 22, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate.

"Strikes against al-Qa'ida operatives in Yemen put consistent pressure on the terrorist network and prevent them from plotting and executing attacks against the U.S. and our allies," said Army Maj. Josh T. Jacques, a U.S. Central Command spokesman. "AQAP remains a significant threat to the region, the United States, and beyond."

The CENTCOM mission is to direct and enable military operations and activities with allies and partners to increase regional security and stability in support of enduring U.S. interests.

"U.S. Central Command remains committed to defeating AQAP and denying it safe havens in Yemen," Jacques said.

Summary

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

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr003

Incident date

January 21, 2017

Location

مديرية الصومعة, Al Suma'a, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.166667, 45.831111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On January 25th 2017,  a US spokesperson stated that a strike in al-Bayda governorate on January 21st had killed three “AQAP operatives”.  This confirmed reports that a drone strike had targeted a vehicle in Suma’a district on that evening.  There were no known reports of civilian casualties.

A number of public sources had earlier reported that a US drone strike on 21st January hit a car in Sama’a district, Bayda province, killing a number of AQAP members.

US Central Command later confirmed that a strike on 21st January had killed three AQAP members, as part of a three officially acknowledged strikes between January 20th and 22nd.  One source suggested that a pickup truck was struck twice by Hellfire missiles.  Though most local sources corroborated that three had been killed in the strike, the New York Times reported on 22nd January that seven AQAP militants had been killed in a strike against a vehicle.

Some sources claimed that the attack had resulted in the death of Abu Anis al-Abi, a local AQAP leader, though others, including AQAP itself, asserted that he had died in an earlier strike on January 20th.

Although these strikes marked the first of the new Trump administration in Yemen, the Washington Post cited Pentagon spokesperson Navy Captain Jeff Davis as saying that the actions had not required approval by recently appointed Defense Secretary James Mattis or from President Donald Trump.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–7

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma’a (مديرية الصومعة), for which the generic coordinates are: 14.166667, 45.831111. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma’a (مديرية الصومعة)

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

TAMPA, Fla. — The U.S. military conducted strikes on al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in central Yemen on Jan. 20, 21 and 22.

On Jan. 20, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate.

On Jan. 21, one strike killed three AQAP operatives in the al-Baydah Governorate.

On Jan. 22, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate.

"Strikes against al-Qa'ida operatives in Yemen put consistent pressure on the terrorist network and prevent them from plotting and executing attacks against the U.S. and our allies," said Army Maj. Josh T. Jacques, a U.S. Central Command spokesman. "AQAP remains a significant threat to the region, the United States, and beyond."

The CENTCOM mission is to direct and enable military operations and activities with allies and partners to increase regional security and stability in support of enduring U.S. interests.

"U.S. Central Command remains committed to defeating AQAP and denying it safe havens in Yemen," Jacques said.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–7

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr002

Incident date

January 21, 2017

Location

مديرية الصومعة, Al Sama'a, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.166667, 45.831111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

There were some unconfirmed reports of a January 21st US drone strike in Sama’a, al-Bayda province, killing up to three alleged AQAP militants. The strike was reported to have occurred in the same general area as a second, confirmed strike on the same day.

All but one source said that three militants had died in the attack – with most sources also describing a pickup truck as having been targeted. SMA News reported only that three ‘people’ had died in the attack – noting that it did not have additional details on their identities at the time.

Al-Masdar Online, which indicated that the strike took place in the Al-Fara’a area of Sama’a, named the “suspected” militants killed as Mithaq Al-Adani, Jarrah Al-San’ani and Ammar Al-Hadi.

AFP instead reported on January 22nd that anonymous security officials said that a drone strike had taken place against a motorcycle, the second of two attacks the previous day.  Some local sources similarly reported that a strike had taken place against a motorcycle, while others reported that a strike had taken place against a vehicle. US Central Command later acknowledged only one strike on the 21st.

Due to the geographical proximity of this reported strike to others during the same time period, it is possible that some or all of these reports instead refer to one or more other listed drone strikes from the 20th-22nd January 2017. However it also remains possible that this was an undeclared CIA action.

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
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–4

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma’a (مديرية الصومعة), for which the generic coordinates are: 14.166667, 45.831111. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma’a (مديرية الصومعة).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US Forces
  • US 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
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3–4

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEMTr001

Incident date

January 20, 2017

Location

مديرية الصومعة, Al Suma'a, Bayda, Yemen

Geolocation

14.238230, 45.833603 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (other) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On January 25th 2017, a US spokesperson confirmed that a strike took place in al-Bayda governorate on January 20th, killing one AQAP operative.  This confirmed reports that a US drone strike in al-Suma’a district, Bayda governorate, killed at least one alleged AQAP militant on that afternoon. There were no known reports of civilian harm.  January 20th 2017 marked the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency.

Several reports, from sources including @demolinari and Nashwa News, named the alleged AQAP member killed as “leader” Abu Anas Al-Ibbi, who AFP reported to be a “local military instructor” for AQAP.  Others, including Sky News Arabia, described the person killed as a “moderate” leader in AQAP.

Some sources, however, later suggested that Al-Ibbi was killed in a further strike on January 21st 2020.  Lime Charlie News indicated that Al-Ibbi was killed on January 21st, but also described the person killed in the strike a day prior as “a militia organizer and trainer of militia members”, matching AFP’s description of Al-Ibbi as an “instructor”.  According to Lima Charlie News, the “high value target” killed on January 20th resided in a small building behind a Madressa, and the target’s whereabouts was confirmed by “assets” on the ground prior to the strike.

An AQAP statement later confirmed that “brother jihadist” Abu Anas Al-Ibbi had been killed by a US drone strike on the afternoon of January 20th.  Twitter sources, including @demolinari and @yemencurrent, indicated that the strike targeted a car in the area, and the latter specified that it took place at around 11:50 AM.

On January 23rd 2017, a US military spokesperson stated that three airstrikes had targeted AQAP militants in al-Bayda governorate from the 20th to the 22nd, killing five.

Although the strike occurred on the same day as the inauguration of the US president, the Washington Post reported Pentagon spokesperson Navy Captain Jeff Davis as saying that they (three strikes confirmed by the US) did not require approval by recently appointed Defense Secretary James Mattis or of new President Donald Trump.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

Summary

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

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Alleged location of January 20th strike
  • A statement from a pro-AQAP media outlet stated that Al-Ibbi had been killed by a US drone strike on the afternoon of January 20th 2017 (@TerrorMonitorAR, January 21st 2017)

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma’a (مديرية الصومعة). Yemen Current (@yemencurrent) alleged that the exact coordinates for this incident are: 14.238230, 45.833603, we can confirm that this location is within the district mentioned, however, due to limited information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention a strike on a vehicle in the district of Al Suma'a (مديرية الصومعة).

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

  • The alleged exact location of the strike according to one source.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

The U.S. military conducted strikes on al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in central Yemen on Jan. 20, 21 and 22.

On Jan. 20, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate.

On Jan. 21, one strike killed three AQAP operatives in the al-Baydah Governorate.

On Jan. 22, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate.

"Strikes against al-Qa'ida operatives in Yemen put consistent pressure on the terrorist network and prevent them from plotting and executing attacks against the U.S. and our allies," said Army Maj. Josh T. Jacques, a U.S. Central Command spokesman. "AQAP remains a significant threat to the region, the United States, and beyond."

The CENTCOM mission is to direct and enable military operations and activities with allies and partners to increase regional security and stability in support of enduring U.S. interests.

"U.S. Central Command remains committed to defeating AQAP and denying it safe havens in Yemen," Jacques said.

Summary

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

Sources (22) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM144-C

Incident date

January 19, 2013

Location

وادي عبيدة, Wadi Obeida, Marib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.515556, 45.395278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A suspected US drone strike in Wadi Obeida, Ma’rib governorate on January 19th 2013 between 11 o’clock at night and midnight killed up to four civilians, with conflicting reports that in fact up to six Al Qaeda militants were killed. According to Mareb Press, the strike hit and destroyed a vehicle that Al Qaeda seized during clashes with the Yemeni army in the previous month. The air raid was the last of a series of three separate strikes in the same area that day.

AFP initially reported that the strike killed four people from the ‘al Haytak clan, part of the Abida tribe’ without specifying if they were al Qaeda militants or civilians. However the agency subsequently reported five alleged al Qaeda militants perished in the strike, including Hamad Hassan Ghreib (aka Amhed Bin Hassan Ali Gahreib). According to a ‘local source’ his brother Ali Bin Hassan Bin Ghurayib was a non-combatant who was killed, along with a group of militants, in a drone strike in August 2012. Angry tribesmen blocked the main road from Marib to Sanaa in protest the morning after the strike.

The only other source to mention civilian casualties was a Twitter account (Kevin Goztola), reported that four civilians were killed in US drone strikes “yesterday” (posted on January 21, 2023 local time). It is unclear which of the strikes between January 19-20 the tweet is referring to, and have therefore been recorded in this incident.  No other sources mention civilian casualties resulting from this strike. Mareb Press, Almanar, and Almasdar Online corroborated the number of five deaths as well as the killing of Hamad Hassan Ghreib. However, Almasdar Online and Mareb Press did not specify whether the four other victims were militants, saying that the identities are unknown “as a result of the charred corpses.” In contrast, Almanar claimed that two of the passengers were Saudi militants while the majority of sources attribute the two Saudi nationals to another strike earlier that day. Xinhua and Twitter account @news_yemen reported the killing of a total of six people. Xinhua thereby claimed that all six were Al Qaeda operatives.

Local sources referred to the drone strikes as being carried out by the US. The Yemen defence ministry reportedly confirmed the strikes hit Mareb province but would not confirm if the Yemen Air Force or US forces carried out the attacks. The Yemen Air Force has been shown to lack the technical capacity to launch precision strikes, or fly at night.

The incident occured between 11:00 pm and 12:00 am local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    4–6

Sources (51) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area, east of Mar’ib (مأرب) city. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Wadi Obeida are: 15.515556, 45.395278.

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
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    US Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
  • Belligerents reported killed
    4–6

Sources (51) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM143-B

Incident date

January 19, 2013

Location

وادي عبيدة, Wadi Abida, Marib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.515556, 45.395278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On January 19th 2013, before 11pm, the second of three alleged US drone strikes hit the  Al Shabwan Wadi Abidah region of the Marib governorate, killing as many as three militants.

Marib Press, Yemen Observer, and Enduring American World View corroborated that one of the reported militants killed was Ismaeel Bin Saeed Bin Jameel and referred to Ismaeel as a local AQAP chief, while Al Masdar Online reported that Ismaeel belonged to the valley tribes and that his brother, a leader in Al Qaeda, Ali Saeed Jamil, was also killed in clashes between Government forces and Al Qaeda fighters in July 2011 in Abyan Governorate. However, local man Raed Fad Abdullah said he was not a senior militant.

Long War Journal linked the other two bodies to two Saudi nationals called Abu Ali Abdullah al-Suweed and Abu al-Zubeir al-Qassimi as per a “Jihadist biography”.AQAP declared a low level Saudi fighter was killed in a US strike in Marib. Abdullah al Ali al Suweed was killed ‘with a group of his brothers in the month of Safar 1434’. According to the Long War Journal this corresponds to December 2012 to January 2013.

AQAP also announced the death of a senior militant from Saudi Arabia. Abu al Zubeir al Qassimi was an inmate in the al Safra prison in Saudi Arabia before moving to Yemen for training. He commanded militants in Abyan province before taking command of fighters in Marib province. According to the Long War Journal al Qassimi was killed in Abyan province in an unspecified strike. However SITE Intelligence in a March 6 post said he died in Marib on an unspecified date (link unavailable). SITE also gave al Qassimi’s alias as Walid al Harbi. A Walid Jarbou’ Al-Harbi – a failed student of Qassim University – was reportedly arrested in connection to an April 2005 gun battle with Saudi security forces. He was jailed for over a year before fleeing to Yemen in 2009. He has been listed as a wanted terrorist by the Saudi ministry of interior.

Other sources claimed that the two other bodies could not be identified as they were charred.

The suspected AQAP militants were allegedly traveling in a Vitara car between 2 km (Marib press) and 8 km in the Ghodaigah area (Yemen Observer) away from the first strike in Al-Masil which hit an orange farm. Xinhua however reported that the same drone fired a second strike and killed two militants inspecting the car that was hit by the first strike. A witness quoted in multiple news sources said that the car was engulfed in flames. Yemen Observer referenced an earlier strike that missed the car and allowed the passengers to flee.

Local sources referred to the drone strikes as being carried out by the US. The Yemen defence ministry reportedly confirmed the strikes hit Mareb province but would not confirm if the Yemen Air Force or US forces carried out the attacks. The Yemen Air Force has been shown to lack the technical capacity to launch precision strikes, or fly at night.

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
    2–3

Sources (57) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Two Saudi operatives, Abdullah al Ali al Suweed (left) and Abu al Zubeir al Qassimi (right), died in suspected U.S drone attacks on Wadi Abadi, January 19th (via Long War Journal)
  • A Saudi man, Walid Jarbou Eid Al-Jaleedi Al-Harbi, was documented as killed in suspected U.S drone strikes on Wadi Abadi January 19th. The Saudi Gazette alleged he was part of a terrorist network. (via Saudi Ministry of Interior)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area, east of Mar’ib (مأرب) city. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Wadi Obeida are: 15.515556, 45.395278.

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
    2–3

Sources (57) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USYEM142-N

Incident date

January 19, 2013

Location

وادي عبيدة, Wadi Abida, Marib, Yemen

Geolocation

15.515556, 45.395278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On January 19th 2013, between 7 and 10:30 pm, the first of three alleged US drone strikes in the Wadi Abidah region in al-Hatik in Marib struck an orange farm in the populated Al-Masil area in Al Dsaleel, Ra’ed Fadi Abdullah. There were no reported casualties, civilian or militant but according to eyewitnesses, the strike damaged neighbouring houses and caused panic in the population.

A tribal source speaking to Xinhua claimed that a vehicle parked in the orchard was the intended target of the strike but missed, and Mareb Press identified the car as being a Vitara car with suspected Al Qaeda militants.

Al Masdar Online reported that the strike caused damage to neighboring houses and caused great panic among the local populations, who blocked the Sanaa-Marib line to protest the strikes which were “shaking their homes and frightening the children”.

An official at the Criminal Investigation Unit in Marib told Xinhua the strike hit at 10.30pm while Yemen Observer referred to the strike as occurring at 7pm.

Local sources referred to the drone strikes as being carried out by the US. The Yemen defence ministry reportedly confirmed the strikes hit Mareb province but would not confirm if the Yemen Air Force or US forces carried out the attacks. The Yemen Air Force has been shown to lack the technical capacity to launch precision strikes, or fly at night.

This incident was identified by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and has been included in Airwars’ database even though no casualties are mentioned.

The incident occured between 7:00 pm and 10:30 pm local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • 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)

Sources (57) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the Wadi Obeida (وادي عبيدة) area, east of Mar’ib (مأرب) city. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Wadi Obeida are: 15.515556, 45.395278.

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 infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • 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)

Sources (57) [ collapse]