Drone Strikes in Yemen

[TruthSeeker]

Military: 43 Militants Killed in Yemen Campaign

SANAA, Yemen May 3, 2014 (AP)
By AHMED AL-HAJ, Associated Press

Fighting and airstrikes in an al-Qaida stronghold in southern Yemen killed six suspected militants and four soldiers Sunday, the military said, part of an ongoing military campaign that killed another 37 fighters overnight.

The government's U.S.-backed campaign in Shabwa province against al-Qaida militants is part of a rolling campaign against the group's hideouts in Yemen.

Washington considers Yemen's al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula the most active branch of the group in the world, and has assisted the government with logistics, training and drone attacks. The militants have fought back, targeting government buildings and security forces.

On Sunday, the military said troops backed by air support stormed a hideout of the group in Naqba hills in Shabwa, an operation that killed six suspected militants and four soldiers. The statement said soldiers arrested four wounded militants and destroyed four of their vehicles.

Earlier Sunday, the Defense Ministry said in a statement that airstrikes and clashes killed 37 suspected al-Qaida fighters overnight in the nearby town of Meyfaa. Intermittent violence persists in the area and soldiers remain deployed there. Some families have fled the town for the provincial capital.

Also in Shabwa, security officials said the army exploded land mines in several areas around Meyfaa that they said al-Qaida fighters had laid.

Government officials also said that phone service was cut in some areas in the provinces of Shabwa and Abyan since Sunday morning during the campaign.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

Military: 43 Militants Killed in Yemen Campaign - ABC News

 

[TruthSeeker]

Saudis, Chechens, Afghans killed during recent fighting in southern Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, May 5, 2014

The Yemeni military killed at least 37 al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters during recent operations in the southern province of Shabwa. Among those killed were fighters from Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Russia, and Somalia, Yemeni officials said.

The fighting in the Maifa district of Shabwa, which is part of a wide Yemeni military offensive to root out AQAP strongholds in the southern provinces, took place over the weekend.

"Most of those militants are from Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Somali, [the Russian Republic of] Chechnya and other countries," a Yemeni official told SABA, the state-run Yemen News Agency.

Five of the Saudis who were killed in the fighting were identified as Ubadah al Sharori, Abdulrahman al Hutti, Abu Ubaidah Malek al Makki, Hussien al Budwi, and Bin Hayzoun, according to 26 September, a newspaper run by Yemen's Defense Ministry.

A Yemeni official told The Long War Journal that one fighter from Chechnya was identified as Abu Muslim al Shishani. An Afghan whose name has not been disclosed is said to have been "dressed up like he was in Kandahar," the Yemeni official said.

Since the launch of its offensive in the south early last week, the Yemeni government has stressed that foreigners are driving AQAP's jihadist insurgency. Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi highlighted this when he claimed that more than 70 percent of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is made up of foreigners.

But a senior Yemeni official told The Long War Journal that President Hadi's estimate of the number of foreign fighters in AQAP is far too high. The official said that although about 50 percent of AQAP's leadership cadre is believed to be non-Yemeni, the number of non-Yemeni foot soldiers is thought to be about 25 percent. Meanwhile, only 10 percent of Ansar al Sharia, AQAP's local political front, is thought to be non-Yemeni.

But the still relatively high number of foreigners in AQAP's leadership cadre and the rank and file should not be surprising as AQAP, which was formed in January 2009, resulted from the merger of al Qaeda's Saudi and Yemeni branches.

The presence of fighters from Somalia should come as no surprise as AQAP and Shabaab, al Qaeda's official branch in Somalia and East Africa, have provided support and manpower for each other's operations for years.

And the presence of fighters from far-flung jihadist battlefields such as Afghanistan and the Caucasus also is to be expected. Fighters from these theaters are currently flooding the Syrian battlefield and have been spotted in remote areas of Africa such as Mali as well.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/05/saudis_chechens_afgh.php#ixzz30s6EPyMi

 

[TruthSeeker]

Pakistani, Algerian, French al Qaeda fighters killed or captured during Yemeni operation

By BILL ROGGIO & OREN ADAKI, May 10, 2014

Yemeni security services continue to note the death or capture of foreign fighters during the ongoing military offensive in the south. The Yemeni Ministry of Defense has reported that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders and fighters from Pakistan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Russia were killed, and two operatives from France were captured over the past several days.

A Pakistani known as Al Nakhaie and Mikassa, who was described as a "local terrorist chief," and a Saudi known as Abu Dujana, were killed in Shabwa, the Ministry of Defense said, according to Al Shorfa.

An Algerian known as Abu Ayoub al Jazaeri who served as "a local al Qaeda terrorist group leader" in Abyan province was found dead by Yemeni military forces in Wadi Dayqa in Abyan.

An AQAP leader from the Caucasus known as Taymour al Dagestani is also reported to have been killed during recent fighting in Shabwa. Dagestani was described as an explosives expert and his death was hailed as a major blow to the terrorist organization.

Additionally, two Frenchmen, who were identified as Mourad Abdulla Abad and Taha al Issawi, were captured at an airport in Shabwa on May 8 as they attempted to leave the country. Arabic news outlets described the two French nationals of Tunisian descent as having been involved in al Qaeda cells in Hadramout province.

The Yemeni government has noted that several foreign fighters, including Saudis, Chechens, Afghans, and Somalis have been killed during military operations in Abyan and Shabwa provinces that began on April 29. Yemen's president has claimed that more than 70 percent of AQAP's leaders and fighters are foreign; this estimate is believed to be extremely high, however. [See LWJ report, Saudis, Chechens, Afghans killed during recent fighting in southern Yemen.]

The Yemeni military is reporting success during its operation to reclaim AQAP strongholds in the south. The military said it has retaken Azzan and the Al Maifa district in Shabwa as well as the Al Mahfad district in Abyan province. Al Mahfad has served as an AQAP stronghold and the location of a training center since mid-2012.

AQAP has responded by stepping up attacks in central Yemen as well as in the capital of Sana'a. In the central province of Baydah, AQAP fighters killed six Yemeni soldiers in an ambush at a checkpoint.

In the capital, four Yemeni soldiers and three AQAP fighters were killed in clashes near the Ministry of Defense. The instability has forced the US to temporarily shut down the embassy's consular services.

Additionally, in Shabwa, three Yemeni soldiers are reported to have been killed after AQAP fighters ambushed a convoy that was transferring Yemen's defense minister, who was unhurt.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/05/pakistani_algerian_f.php#ixzz31ShtWdxb

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drone strike kills 6 AQAP fighters in central Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, May 12, 2014

The US killed six al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in the first drone strike reported in Yemen in more than three weeks.

Today's strike, which took place in the Wadi Abida district in the central province of Marib, targeted a vehicle as it was driving in the village of Husoun al-Jalal, according to The Associated Press. Yemeni officials are attempting to identify the suspected AQAP fighters.

The exact target of the strike has not been disclosed. No AQAP leaders of operatives are reported to have been killed at this time. AQAP has not released an official statement on the strike.

The Wadi Abida of Marib province is a known haven for AQAP in central Yemen. The US has conducted five other drone strikes in Wadi Abida since October 2012. Two of those strikes took place this year, two occurred in 2012, and one was conducted in 2012. Twenty-eight AQAP fighters and two civilians are reported to have been killed in the six strikes, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal.

Today's strike took place as the Yemeni military has been on the offensive against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in its southern strongholds of Abyan and Shabwa provinces.

The Yemeni military is reporting success during its operation to reclaim AQAP strongholds in the south. The military said it has retaken Azzan and the Al Maifa district in Shabwa as well as the Al Mahfad district in Abyan province. Al Mahfad has served as an AQAP stronghold and the location of a training center since mid-2012.

A Yemeni military official is claiming that security forces have killed and wounded hundreds of AQAP fighters and dozens of leaders during operations in the south since April 29.


Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/05/us_drone_strike_kill_27.php#ixzz31Wu8AUxt

 

[TruthSeeker]

AQAP military official killed in 2013 drone strike

By BILL ROGGIO, May 15, 2014

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a martyrdom statement for a military commander who was killed in one of several US drone strikes launched last summer following the emergence of a threat of attacks on US diplomatic facilities.

AQAP released the biography of Sarhan Abdullah Ali al Nasi, also known as Khishiman, on May 12 on its Twitter feed, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which obtained and translated the statement.

Khishiman was one of seven people killed in the Aug. 7, 2013 drone strike that took place in the Markha area of Shabwa province. Two vehicles were targeted in the strike. [See LWJ report, US strikes twice in Yemen, kills 11 AQAP operatives in drone attacks.]

Khishiman was killed during a spate of strikes that coincided with a terror warning by the US that led to the closure of diplomatic facilities in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia in July and August 2013. US officials said they had intercepted communications between al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri and Nasir al Wuhayshi, AQAP's leader and al Qaeda's general manager, that indicated a major plot was underway.

Khishiman's path to jihad began sometime before 2007, when he was arrested by the Yemeni government for attempting to travel to Iraq to fight US and international forces, and imprisoned at a jail in Sana'a. While in prison, "he met Sheikh Anwar al Awlaki," the American AQAP ideologue, recruiter, and operational commander who also was later killed in a US drone strike. Awlaki spoke to Khsihiman about "project of jihad" while in jail, and clearly recruited him to join al Qaeda. Awlaki was imprisoned for 18 months between 2006 and 2007 for his involvement in a plot to kidnap the US military attache in Sana'a.

After spending nine months in prison, Khishiman "joined the mujahideen in the Arabian Peninsula," and served as a driver. He later "joined the camps of the mujahideen in Shabwa," where he "participated in a number of specialized courses, including the course of execution in cities and special operations."

Khishiman fought with AQAP during its campaign in 2011 to take control of Abyan province, and was "wounded during the storming of the 25th Mechanized Brigade." That Yemeni brigade was based in Zinjibar, and AQAP laid siege to the unit's base before taking full control of the city.

Qasim al Raymi, AQAP's top military commander and cofounder of the group who is on the US' list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, appointed Khishiman to serve on the group's "Military Committee." That committee is responsible for coordinating AQAP military operations throughout the country.

While on the Military Committee, Khishiman "engaged in special courses in arts of organizational and military administration." Additionally, he served as AQAP's emir for the northern Yemeni provinces of Al Jawf and Saada.


Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/05/aqap_military_offici.php##ixzz31ns1Pfdf

 

[TruthSeeker]

AQAP eulogizes commander killed in April drone strike

By BILL ROGGIO & OREN ADAKI, May 27, 2014

A well-known Yemeni journalist with connections to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Abdul Razzaq al Jamal, today posted a eulogy issued by the terrorist group to his Facebook page honoring fallen commander Ali bin Lakraa' al Kazimi al Awlaki. The eulogy claimed that Awlaki was injured "during the American bombardment of the Mahfad area in Abyan in late Jumadi al Akhir," referring to the US drone strikes targeting the Mahfad district on April 20.

The Yemeni media first reported the death of Awlaki, also known as Abu Maryam, in Mahfad on May 1.

The eulogy specified that during the time of the American drone strikes in late April, Awlaki was in Mahfad accompanied by "a group of his tribesmen" in order to "rescue their Muslim brothers who subjected to an American strike at that time." After his injury, Awlaki was cared for by his AQAP "brothers" but eventually succumbed to his wounds. Shortly before his death, Awlaki apparently wrote a letter to his tribe, encouraging them to continue along the path of jihad and in support of sharia, or Islamic law.

Awlaki is described in the AQAP statement as a "pearl of his people" who worked in support of the weak, oppressed, and orphaned, and who also fought as a "mujahid" against "the enemies of Allah."

The statement also calls the Awlaki tribe, a powerful clan in southern Yemen that has spawned a number of AQAP militants, "honorable" and lists other mujaheddin who have emerged from its ranks. This list includes Anwar al Awlaki, a US cleric and AQAP ideologue and operational commander who was killed in a US drone strike in 2011, as well as Fahd al Quso al Awlaki, who was killed by the US in another drone strike in 2012. Quso was wanted by the US for his role in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole and the attempt to detonate an airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009.

The eulogy ends with a message to the "Crusader enemies," warning them that AQAP will be unrelenting in Yemen despite fierce American and Yemeni efforts. "Our ancestors fought you till they restored from you what you took from the country," it concludes. "We will not relent nor resign till we drive out the Cross and liberate the country, restore sharia to rule and Islam to prevail, and justice to spread."

Awlaki's death highlights a continuing trend of the US targeting local AQAP commanders and fighters who are battling against the Yemeni government. This trend was first identified by The Long War Journal in the spring of 2012 [see LWJ report, US drone strike kills 8 AQAP fighters, from May 10, 2012].

This contradicts a US Department of Justice white paper that claimed that the drone program will target only those AQAP operatives who "present an 'imminent' threat of violent attack against the United States."

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/05/aqap_awlaki_commande.php##ixzz32yDbv3yu

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drones kill local AQAP commander, 2 fighters

By BILL ROGGIO & OREN ADAKIJune 5, 2014

The US killed three al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters, including a local commander, in the first recorded drone strike in more than three weeks.

The strike, which took place last evening in the Maghifar area of the Wadi Abida district in Yemen's central province of Marib, targeted a pickup truck, according to local reports. Yemeni tribal leaders said that Jafar al Shabwani, a local AQAP commander from the Al Shabwan tribe of Wadi Abida, and two of his fighters were killed in the airstrike.

AQAP has not released an official statement on the strike or a martyrdom statement for al Shabwani.

Wadi Abida has long been considered an AQAP stronghold and recruiting base in Marib, and local tribes regularly provide AQAP militants with protection and cover.

The US has conducted six other drone strikes in Wadi Abida since October 2012. Three of those strikes took place this year, two occurred in 2012, and one was conducted in 2012. Thirty-one AQAP fighters and two civilians are reported to have been killed in the six strikes, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal.

The Wadi Abida district was also the location of the last recorded drone strike in Yemen. On May 12, the remotely piloted Reapers or Predators targeted a vehicle as it was driving in the village of Husoun al-Jalal. Six AQAP fighters are thought to have been killed in the attack.

Last night's strike highlights a continuing trend of the US targeting local AQAP commanders and fighters who are waging a local insurgency against the Yemeni government. This trend was first identified by The Long War Journal in the spring of 2012 [see LWJ report, US drone strike kills 8 AQAP fighters, from May 10, 2012].

This contradicts a US Department of Justice white paper that claimed the drone program will target only those AQAP operatives who "present an 'imminent' threat of violent attack against the United States."

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/us_drones_kill_local_1.php##ixzz33mkjivfm

 

[Falcon29]

OP, so you're busy justifying more violence that will kill hundreds if not thousands of people while also make militants more popular?

Why aren't you mentioning any civilian casualties? You guys say you believe in God but treat this people as if they aren't humans and encourage mass murder against populations in that region.

That will only cause Islamists to increase(Which is a good thing for the people) and eventually this policy will backfire.

None of that matters to you though, as long as they can't fight back at all it's okay to keep killing defenseless people.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Why aren't you mentioning any civilian casualties?

Civilian casualties, if there are any, are the responsibility of AQAP. E-mail them and ask them to mention them for you, if you really care.

 

[Falcon29]

Civilian casualties, if there are any, are the responsibility of AQAP. E-mail them and ask them to mention them for you, if you really care.

Why should any rebels in Yemen be targeted in the first place? Can you give us adequate reasons? The responsibility lies solely on the entity inflicting death and destruction on the people of Yemen.

In the same that TTP inflicts death and destruction on the civilians of Pakistan. Both are cases of terrorism and mass murder.

I care about all people who have to deal with this barbaric violence. You on the other hand do nothing to make the world a better place to live in.

If bombs were falling on your city, only then would you consider equal treatment to the rest of the world. Since you're living in luxury it doesn't matter to you. So you're evil.

 

[TruthSeeker]

@Hazzy997

Why don't you ask your Boko Haram friends to mention their civilian causalities?

Boko Haram rampages unchecked in the Nigerian north

By LAURA GROSSMAN, June 5, 2014

This week Boko Haram militants have continued their insurgency across northern Nigeria with little challenge from Nigerian authorities.

Between June 2 and June 3, the group conducted a number of attacks, killing over 200 civilians in several villages in northeastern Nigeria. In one instance, Boko Haram members dressed as soldiers told townspeople that they had come to protect residents. After gathering them in the town center, the militants began shouting "Allahu akbar" and opened fire, killing dozens. Some villagers who attempted to flee were shot and killed by gunmen lurking outside the village.

The villages attacked included Danjara, Agapalwa, and Antagara in the Gwoza local government district. The emir of Gwoza was shot and killed last week by Boko Haram militants as he rode in a convoy with other community leaders.

Another report indicated that a fourth town, Goshe, was also hit by Boko Haram, where at least 100 people were killed. One resident said: "They laid siege on the village and opened fire with Kalashnikovs and fired RPGs, burning the entire village with its 300 homes and a few mosques."

The deceptive tactic of dressing as Nigerian soldiers offering protection appears to have become part of Boko Haram's modus operandi. Wearing military uniforms, Boko Haram militants kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok in April. One student, who managed to escape after the kidnapping, commented that "[w]hen we saw these gunmen, we thought they were soldiers, they told all of us to come and walk to the gates, we followed their instructions."

On June 4, militants committed a particularly nasty attack on Barderi, a village near Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. Telling villagers that they were going to preach to them, the militants opened fire as they gathered, killing at least 45 civilians.

Early in the morning today, militants fought with Nigerian security forces for three hours in Madagali in Adamawa state in northeastern Nigeria, where the attackers burnt down several buildings, including a church, and killed two civilians.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/boko_haram_continues.php##ixzz33rOxX5jP

 

[Falcon29]

@Hazzy997

Why don't you ask your Boko Haram friends to mention their civilian causalities?

Boko Haram rampages unchecked in the Nigerian north

By LAURA GROSSMAN, June 5, 2014

This week Boko Haram militants have continued their insurgency across northern Nigeria with little challenge from Nigerian authorities.

Between June 2 and June 3, the group conducted a number of attacks, killing over 200 civilians in several villages in northeastern Nigeria. In one instance, Boko Haram members dressed as soldiers told townspeople that they had come to protect residents. After gathering them in the town center, the militants began shouting "Allahu akbar" and opened fire, killing dozens. Some villagers who attempted to flee were shot and killed by gunmen lurking outside the village.

The villages attacked included Danjara, Agapalwa, and Antagara in the Gwoza local government district. The emir of Gwoza was shot and killed last week by Boko Haram militants as he rode in a convoy with other community leaders.

Another report indicated that a fourth town, Goshe, was also hit by Boko Haram, where at least 100 people were killed. One resident said: "They laid siege on the village and opened fire with Kalashnikovs and fired RPGs, burning the entire village with its 300 homes and a few mosques."

The deceptive tactic of dressing as Nigerian soldiers offering protection appears to have become part of Boko Haram's modus operandi. Wearing military uniforms, Boko Haram militants kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok in April. One student, who managed to escape after the kidnapping, commented that "[w]hen we saw these gunmen, we thought they were soldiers, they told all of us to come and walk to the gates, we followed their instructions."

On June 4, militants committed a particularly nasty attack on Barderi, a village near Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. Telling villagers that they were going to preach to them, the militants opened fire as they gathered, killing at least 45 civilians.

Early in the morning today, militants fought with Nigerian security forces for three hours in Madagali in Adamawa state in northeastern Nigeria, where the attackers burnt down several buildings, including a church, and killed two civilians.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/boko_haram_continues.php##ixzz33rOxX5jP

You use longwarjournal? Except when they post anti-israeli content of course. Nobody supports Boko haram here, on the other hand you support violence unrelated to them. All members here have condemned this group. No Christians have condemned Christian on Muslim violence in it's most barbaric form.

This number is a lie as well, it was around 43. Of course that won't prevent 'Grossman' from posting the facts.

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drones kill AQAP commander, 4 fighters in southern Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, June 14, 2014

The US killed an al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula commander and four fighters in the second recorded drone strike in southern Yemen this month.

Earlier today, the remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired several missiles at a vehicle "in a mountainous area" in al Saeed in Shabwa province, according to The Associated Press. US drone strikes in Yemen routinely target AQAP leaders and fighters as they travel in vehicles.

Yemeni officials told the news agency that an AQAP commander known as Musaad al Habashi was among five AQAP members riding in the vehicle when it was struck by missiles. AQAP has not released an official statement on the strike or a martyrdom statement for al Habashi, whose role in AQAP is unclear.

Elsewhere in Shabwa province, the Yemeni military claimed it killed four AQAP fighters who "were planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Naqba area in [the] Hibban district," the state-run Yemen News Agency (SABA) reported. Yemeni forces also destroyed "a number of their cars and arms warehouses."

Shabwa has been a hotbed of AQAP activity. The terrorist group took control of several areas in Shabwa and neighboring Abyan over the past year.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/us_drones_kill_aqap_2.php##ixzz34iHDKtUQ

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drone strike kills 3 AQAP fighters in central Yemen
By BILL ROGGIO, August 9, 2014

The US launched its first recorded drone strike in Yemen in nearly two months, killing three suspected al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in the central province of Marib. The strike takes place as AQAP has been battling Yemeni forces for control of the eastern province of Hadramout.

The remotely piloted Reapers struck a compound in the Wadi Abida area today, a local official told Reuters. The names of the three suspected fighters were not disclosed. A "security official" confirmed that an airstrike took place in Marib and killed three people, but the official "did not specify if it was a US or Yemeni aircraft involved in the strike," The Associated Pressreported.

The Wadi Abida of Marib province is a known haven for AQAP in central Yemen. The US has conducted six other drone strikes in Wadi Abida since October 2012. Three of those strikes took place this year, two occurred in 2013, and one was conducted in 2012. According to data compiled by The Long War Journal, a total of 31 AQAP fighters and two civilians are reported to have been killed in the seven strikes in Wadi Abida.

The last strike in Wadi Abida took place on June 4. A local commander known as Jafar al Shabwani and two fighters are said to have been killed.

Fighting rages in Hadramout

Today's drone strike in Marib takes place as Yemeni security forces and AQAP are battling for control over the eastern province of Hadramout.

Earlier this week, an unnamed Yemeni military official claimed that AQAP is in effective control of Hadramout province. "Local authorities in Hadramout are non-existent and Al Qaeda is running it," he said. A senior general later denied the report.

The Yemeni military said it killed 25 AQAP fighters on Aug. 6-7 while battling to protect the city of Seyoun in Hadramout province. The military also sent reinforcements to the town of Qatn in Hadramout after heavy fighting in the area.

AQAP responded by kidnapping and executing 14 soldiers who were traveling on a bus from Hadramout to Sana'a. AQAP also threatened to "punish" prosecutors and other legal officials in Hadramout who rule against the group.

The ancestral home of Osama bin Laden, Hadramout province has become an AQAP bastion over the past several years. AQAP has regrouped in Hadramout and other provinces after losing control of major cities in Abyan and Shabwa to government forces starting in late spring 2012. In May 2013, the Yemeni government claimed it foiled a plot by AQAP to establish an Islamic emirate in the Ghayl Bawazir area. In July, AQAP distributed leaflets in Seyoun that said the jihadist group is establishing an emirate in Hadramout and will impose sharia, or Islamic law.



Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/08/us_drone_strike_kill_30.php#ixzz39vl2VX3T

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drone kills 3 AQAP fighters in eastern Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, August 17, 2014

The US killed three suspected al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in an airstrike in a province in eastern Yemen where the terror group has been battling the government for control. The strike is the second by the US in Yemen in the past week.

"The three armed men were traveling in a vehicle along a desert stretch between Yemen and Saudi Arabia's border [in Hadramout province] when the drone shot two rockets at them. All three are dead," a local Yemeni official told Reuters.

No senior AQAP leaders or operatives are reported to have been killed in the drone strike. AQAP has not released a statement concerning the strike.

Yemeni officials, including President Hadi, have said in the past that only the US possessed the ability to strike at a moving vehicle inside Yemen.

In May 2013, the Yemeni government claimed it foiled a plot by AQAP to establish an Islamic emirate in Hadramout's Ghayl Bawazir area. In July of this year, AQAP distributed leaflets in Seyoun that said the jihadist group is establishing an emirate in Hadramout and will impose sharia, or Islamic law. Heavy fighting between the military and the government has been reported there in the past several months as AQAP seeks to hoist its flag over the province.



Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/08/us_drone_kills_3_aqa.php#ixzz3AhdvoXHG