According to some local language social-media sources, a US drone strike targeted the home of Shabwa Governor Mohammed Salih Bin Adiyu in Ataq city, Shabwa, late on July 3rd 2020. Most sources, however, including local news outlets, instead reported that a fire had broken out in the building, leading to the explosion of a weapons store. No known sources gave information on casualties, and there were no known reports of civilian harm.

Social-media sources including @Mohamme19780462, @Shalal_Gaman, and @g3raan31 suggested the building was targeted as a meeting of alleged AQAP or ISIS “terrorists” took place.

News outlets, including Al-Masshad Al-Yemeni, Aden TM, and Yemen Press Agency, instead reported that a fire had broken out in the house. Local sources told Yemen Press Agency that a short-circuit had caused the fire, which had ignited ammunition and weapons stockpiles in the building, leading to “huge explosions”. These sources describe a state of panic in the local area due to these explosions.

Given disputed reporting on the origins of the fire and explosions, this event has been assessed by Airwars as “contested”.

US Central Command told Airwars that no US military strikes were conducted in Yemen during July 2020. It is, however, possible that an undeclared strike was conducted by the CIA, or as part of a clandestine US military operation.

The incident occured during the night.

At least one US drone strike reportedly targeted alleged AQAP militants in or near the coastal town of Shakra, in Abyan governorate, on May 13th 2020. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Local sources told Al-Mandeb that AQAP leader Abu Al-Bara Al-Qifi was killed in a strike against an AQAP site “near the Shakra area”. Yemen Press Agency also reported that strikes took place in Shakra, allegedly targeting AQAP militants amongst pro-government forces. AQAP militants have previously been reported to have fought alongside or integrated into pro-government groups.

A single source, @ALhairan134, appeared to allege that ISIS forces had instead been the target of the strike.

US Central Command told Airwars that no US military strikes were conducted in Yemen during May 2020. It is, however, possible that an undeclared strike was conducted by the CIA, or as part of a clandestine US military action. A separate confirmed US strike, likely conducted by the CIA, also took place on this date against a high-value AQAP target, Abdullah al-Maliki.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Three alleged AQAP militants, including at least one leadership figure, were reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Bayda governorate on March 30th 2019. Though most suggested that the strike took place in Sama’a district, two sources, including Xinhua, instead located the strike in the Anah or Tayeb area of Dhi Naseem district.

Sources, including Huna Al-Bayda, News Yemen, and Al-Masdar Online, named those killed as Abu Ammar Al-Hadrami, Mohammed Salem Umqaida Abu Yusuf Al-Fahtani, and Abu Abdul Ilah al-Mantheri. Xinhua suggested that others were injured in the strike. As such, Airwars has assessed that a minimum of two militants were reportedly injured.

Huna Al-Bayda described Al-Hadrami as an AQAP mufti and leader, who “issued fatwas to authorise crimes and carry out terrorist operations”. Al-Fahtani was reported by one source, Yaqeen Online, to be a Saudi national, though others suggested he was from the Ambqria area of Mudiya district, in Abyan governorate. Al-Mantheri was alleged to be from Sama’a district in Bayda; Huna Al-Bayda described him as AQAP’s emir in Mudiya district. Sources variously suggested that at least one and as many as all of those killed were leadership figures in AQAP.

According to academic Dr Elisabeth Kendall, AQAP stated that a US drone had targeted its fighters on March 30th, who were battling Islamic State in Bayda governorate at the time. While most reported that the targets were AQAP militants, some initial local-language social media responses, from accounts such as @kyanalyamani51, suggested that the strike had targeted “ISIS-funded” militants.

The US did not publicly report a strike on March 30th, though a CENTCOM spokesperson told New America that two strikes (listed by Airwars as USYEMTr196 and USYEMTr195) took place in Bayda on March 29th. Since no other sources reported strikes on the 29th, it is possible that one or both of these declared strikes were part of this event. However all local sources were quite clear that this incident occurred on Saturday March 30th. It therefore remains possible that this was either a CIA or Saudi-led Coalition action.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

At least five alleged AQAP militants were reportedly killed by a US drone strike that targeted a house in the Rawdah area, south of Marib city, early on March 22nd 2018.  There were no known associated reports of civilian harm.

Yemeni tribal leaders told Associated Press that seven had been killed in the strike. Several local language sources including Facebook page @tarebhtoday and Erem News, as well as Sputnik News, similarly reported that seven had died, and indicated that drones had remained in the area in the aftermath of the strike.

A provincial security official told Xinhua, however, that “at least five” had died in the attack, which allegedly targeted a farm.

All but two sources suggested those killed were AQAP members. @Shalal_Gaman and @JmtfWYvkyAY9XjA, instead claimed that they were ISIS-affiliated militants, though similarity in wording indicated that the latter source may have been a bot copying the former.

A list of recent US military strikes provided by CENTCOM to the Long War Journal made no mention of an action on this date. This does not however preclude a CIA strike.

The incident occured around dawn.