Drone Strikes in Yemen

[TruthSeeker]

There have been nine suspected U.S. drone strikes in Yemen since July 27.

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — A suspected U.S. drone strike killed two alleged al-Qaeda militants in southern Yemen on Saturday, military officials said, making it the ninth such strike in just two weeks.

The strike in Lahj province wounded two other militants, one of them seriously, the officials said. The four had been traveling in a car in the area of el-Askariya. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said it was the first time a U.S. drone fired on this area of Lahj.

In total, there have been nine suspected U.S. drone strikes in Yemen since July 27. The drone attacks in that two-week period have killed a total of 38 suspected militants in Yemen, which is the Arab world's most impoverished country.

While the U.S. acknowledges its drone program in Yemen, it does not usually talk about individual strikes. The program is run by the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command and the CIA, with the military flying its drones out of Djibouti, and the CIA out of a base in Saudi Arabia.

An accelerated use of drone strikes in Yemen under President Barack Obama and a U.S.-backed offensive last year drove militants from territory they had seized a year earlier, during Yemen's political turmoil amid the Arab Spring.

Washington recently flew diplomatic staff out of Yemen's capital over fears of a terrorist attack. The U.S., which is set to reopen diplomatic posts that were temporarily closed this week throughout parts of Africa and the Middle East amid a major terror alert, will keep its embassy in Yemen closed.

Yemeni Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Mohammed Nasser Ahmed met on Saturday with Deputy U.S. Ambassador Karen Sasahara and two American security officials based in Yemen to discuss the security situation.

In a statement, the defense minister said he expressed appreciation during the meeting for U.S. logistical and technical support to the Yemeni armed forces in their fight against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Washington considers the group as the most dangerous al-Qaeda branch to threaten U.S. interests.

Earlier this month, Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi met Obama in Washington. The two discussed the recent al-Qaeda threats.

Suspected U.S. drone strike kills 2 in Yemen

 

[Takaavar]

al-Qaeda declared war on the United States. We are at war with al Qaeda. Killing the enemy during a war is not murder, which is a legal term for an unjustified killing. We are killing al Qaeda people but not murdering them. Get it?

Cool. However, "you" are not killing the enemy, you are carelessly killing people that you only suspect to be the enemy.

 

[gambit]

Cool. However, "you" are not killing the enemy, you are carelessly killing people that you only suspect to be the enemy.

They suspect US citizens to be the enemy.

 

[Takaavar]

They suspect US citizens to be the enemy.

So I ask it again: what would be the difference between the terrorist group al-Qaeda and US?

 

[gambit]

So I ask it again: what would be the difference between the terrorist group al-Qaeda and US?

We are the good guys and they are the bad guys.

Looky here...I can tell already that you are not interested in a reasonably intelligent discussion but rather in hyperbolic rhetoric against US. So stay with what you know best -- shallow.

 

[TruthSeeker]

US kills local AQAP commander in drone strike in central Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, August 30, 2013

The US killed a local commander for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and two other fighters in the first reported drone strike in Yemen in 20 days. Kaid al Dhahab, the AQAP commander, served as the group's emir in the central province of Baydah.

The CIA-operated, remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers killed Kaid and the two other fighters this morning as they were traveling in a vehicle in the village of Manasseh in Baydah, tribal sources and officials told AFP. Mohammed Albasha, Yemen's official spokesman in Washington, confirmed Kaid's death in a statement on Twitter.

"AQAP's commander in Baydah, kaid al Dhahab, the Emir of AAS [Ansar al Sharia, AQAP's political front in Yemen] in Rada'a was killed in an airstrike. He evaded capture\death before," Albasha said.

AQAP has not released an official statement confirming Kaid's death. The identities of the other two fighters killed in the strike have not been disclosed.

Kaid and his brother, Nabil, who is also a senior AQAP official in Baydah, have been the target of a US drone strike in the past. On May 28, 2012, the US targeted Kaid and Nabil in a strike in the town of Rada'a.

Kaid took control of AQAP in Baydah after the death of another brother, Tariq. Before he was killed, Tariq had seized control of Baydah, raised al Qaeda's banner, sworn allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, and warned that "the Islamic Caliphate is coming."

Kaid and Nabil were tasked with regrouping AQAP's forces in Baydah after Tariq's death. The two leaders are also the brothers-in-law of slain AQAP leader and ideologue Anwar al Awlaki, who was killed in a drone strike in the fall of 2011.

According to Albasha, Kaid "built an AQAP training camp" in Manasseh, and "commanded dozens of AQAP fighters" in Abyan, "where he was wounded" while fighting against the Yemeni military.

The US has conducted 13 drone strikes against AQAP in Baydah province since March 2012; prior to March 2012, there were no drone strikes in the province. The last strike in the province was on May 20; two AQAP fighters were reported killed in the strike.

The two previous drone strikes in Baydah province killed two notable local AQAP operatives. In January, US drones killed Mukbel Abbad, a senior AQAP leader in the province. Abbad was a brother-in-law of Tariq al Dhahab. And in December 2012, a drone strike killed Abdullah Hussein al Waeli, an AQAP operative from Marib province who escaped from prison in 2010, and an unidentified Jordanian.

Background on US strikes in Yemen

Today's strike is the first in Yemen since Aug. 10, when the US targeted AQAP operatives traveling in Lahj province. Between July 27 and Aug. 10, the US launched nine strikes in Yemen. No drone strikes were reported for seven weeks prior to July 27.

The burst in attacks was related to an al Qaeda plot that was uncovered by US officials. The US closed down more than 20 embassies and diplomatic facilities across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The plot is thought to have involved AQAP.

The US has launched 22 drone strikes in Yemen so far this year. Despite the recent uptick of activity at the end of July and into the second week of August, the pace of the strikes has still decreased since last year. In 2012, the US launched 42 drone strikes in Yemen against AQAP and its political front, Ansar al Sharia. The previous year, the US launched 10 drone and air strikes against the al Qaeda affiliate. The strikes are being reduced as the US government is facing increasing international criticism for conducting the attacks in both Yemen and Pakistan.

Although six senior AQAP operatives, including the group's deputy emir, Said al Shihri, were killed in strikes in Yemen in 2012, the group's top leadership cadre remains intact. Just two weeks ago, AQAP confirmed that al Shihri, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, was killed; he is thought to have died or to have been seriously wounded following a strike in October 2012.

The US has targeted not only senior AQAP operatives who pose a direct threat to the US, but also low-level fighters and local commanders who are battling 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]. Obama administration officials have claimed, however, that the drones are targeting only those AQAP leaders and operatives who pose a direct threat to the US homeland, and not those fighting AQAP's local insurgency against the Yemeni government.

For more information on the US airstrikes in Yemen, see LWJ report, Charting the data for US air strikes in Yemen, 2002 - 2013.

Read more: US kills local AQAP commander in drone strike in central Yemen - The Long War Journal

 

[Black Eagle 90]

US kills local AQAP commander in drone strike in central Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, August 30, 2013

The US killed a local commander for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and two other fighters in the first reported drone strike in Yemen in 20 days. Kaid al Dhahab, the AQAP commander, served as the group's emir in the central province of Baydah.

The CIA-operated, remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers killed Kaid and the two other fighters this morning as they were traveling in a vehicle in the village of Manasseh in Baydah, tribal sources and officials told AFP. Mohammed Albasha, Yemen's official spokesman in Washington, confirmed Kaid's death in a statement on Twitter.

"AQAP's commander in Baydah, kaid al Dhahab, the Emir of AAS [Ansar al Sharia, AQAP's political front in Yemen] in Rada'a was killed in an airstrike. He evaded capture\death before," Albasha said.

AQAP has not released an official statement confirming Kaid's death. The identities of the other two fighters killed in the strike have not been disclosed.

Kaid and his brother, Nabil, who is also a senior AQAP official in Baydah, have been the target of a US drone strike in the past. On May 28, 2012, the US targeted Kaid and Nabil in a strike in the town of Rada'a.

Kaid took control of AQAP in Baydah after the death of another brother, Tariq. Before he was killed, Tariq had seized control of Baydah, raised al Qaeda's banner, sworn allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, and warned that "the Islamic Caliphate is coming."

Kaid and Nabil were tasked with regrouping AQAP's forces in Baydah after Tariq's death. The two leaders are also the brothers-in-law of slain AQAP leader and ideologue Anwar al Awlaki, who was killed in a drone strike in the fall of 2011.

According to Albasha, Kaid "built an AQAP training camp" in Manasseh, and "commanded dozens of AQAP fighters" in Abyan, "where he was wounded" while fighting against the Yemeni military.

The US has conducted 13 drone strikes against AQAP in Baydah province since March 2012; prior to March 2012, there were no drone strikes in the province. The last strike in the province was on May 20; two AQAP fighters were reported killed in the strike.

The two previous drone strikes in Baydah province killed two notable local AQAP operatives. In January, US drones killed Mukbel Abbad, a senior AQAP leader in the province. Abbad was a brother-in-law of Tariq al Dhahab. And in December 2012, a drone strike killed Abdullah Hussein al Waeli, an AQAP operative from Marib province who escaped from prison in 2010, and an unidentified Jordanian.

Background on US strikes in Yemen

Today's strike is the first in Yemen since Aug. 10, when the US targeted AQAP operatives traveling in Lahj province. Between July 27 and Aug. 10, the US launched nine strikes in Yemen. No drone strikes were reported for seven weeks prior to July 27.

The burst in attacks was related to an al Qaeda plot that was uncovered by US officials. The US closed down more than 20 embassies and diplomatic facilities across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The plot is thought to have involved AQAP.

The US has launched 22 drone strikes in Yemen so far this year. Despite the recent uptick of activity at the end of July and into the second week of August, the pace of the strikes has still decreased since last year. In 2012, the US launched 42 drone strikes in Yemen against AQAP and its political front, Ansar al Sharia. The previous year, the US launched 10 drone and air strikes against the al Qaeda affiliate. The strikes are being reduced as the US government is facing increasing international criticism for conducting the attacks in both Yemen and Pakistan.

Although six senior AQAP operatives, including the group's deputy emir, Said al Shihri, were killed in strikes in Yemen in 2012, the group's top leadership cadre remains intact. Just two weeks ago, AQAP confirmed that al Shihri, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, was killed; he is thought to have died or to have been seriously wounded following a strike in October 2012.

The US has targeted not only senior AQAP operatives who pose a direct threat to the US, but also low-level fighters and local commanders who are battling 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]. Obama administration officials have claimed, however, that the drones are targeting only those AQAP leaders and operatives who pose a direct threat to the US homeland, and not those fighting AQAP's local insurgency against the Yemeni government.

For more information on the US airstrikes in Yemen, see LWJ report, Charting the data for US air strikes in Yemen, 2002 - 2013.

Read more: US kills local AQAP commander in drone strike in central Yemen - The Long War Journal

Better for Yemen, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar to become a part of Saudi Arabia and also Oman and UAE should also join with ach other too.

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drones kill 3 AQAP fighters in Yemen airstrike

By BILL ROGGIO, November 19, 2013

The US killed three al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters today in the first recorded drone strike in Yemen since the end of August. The strike took place in an eastern province of Yemen where AQAP has been regrouping over the past year.

The remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers killed the three AQAP fighters in a strike on a vehicle as it traveled in the Ghayl Bawazir area near Mukallah, the provincial capital of the eastern province of Hadramout, according to Reuters. Yemeni officials denied that its military carried out an airstrike in the area, The Associated Press reported. Yemeni officials, including President Hadi, have stated in the past that the Yemeni air force does not possess the ability to strike moving vehicles.

The target of today's strike was not disclosed. No senior AQAP commanders or operatives are reported to have been killed at this time.

Hadramout is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden's family, and the province has become an AQAP bastion over the past several years. In May, the Yemeni government claimed it foiled a plot by AQAP to establish an Islamic emirate in the Ghayl Bawazir area.

In 2012, the US stepped up drone strikes against AQAP in Hadramout. Prior to May 2012, there were zero US drone strikes in the province. From mid-May until the end of 2012, the US launched seven attacks in Hadramout. Seven of the 42 drone strikes in Yemen in 2012, or 17%, have taken place in the province. And four of the 23 strikes in Yemen so far this year, or 17%, have occurred in Hadramout.




Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/11/us_drones_kill_3_aqa_1.php#ixzz2lQsgBkoa

 

[TruthSeeker]

AQAP says assault on Yemen's Defense Ministry targeted US drone operations

By BILL ROGGIO, December 6, 2013

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed it executed yesterday's suicide assault on the Ministry of Defense in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a in an effort to strike at the US' drone program that targets AQAP leaders, operatives, and foot soldiers. The suicide assault resulted in the deaths of 52 people, including foreign doctors and nurses, and 11 AQAP fighters.

AQAP made the claim in a series of tweets at the newly established Twitter site of "Malahem Media." The Twitter site was promoted by Abdul Razzaq al Jamal, a Yemeni journalist who is closely tied to AQAP and "who often posts communiqués and videos from AQAP before their official release on jihadi forums," according to the SITE Intelligence Group. Al Malahem Media is the official media outlet for AQAP.

AQAP claimed it targeted the "operation rooms" for the drone program.

"As part of the policy of targeting the operation rooms of pilotless planes, the mujahideen (holy fighters) have heavily struck one of these rooms in Defense Ministry headquarters," the group said, according to Reuters.

"Such joint military locations, which participate with the Americans in their war against this Muslim nation, are a legitimate target for our operations," AQAP continued in another tweet.

No US casualties were reported in yesterday's assault, nor is it clear if the US maintains an operations room inside Yemen's Ministry of Defense. Seven foreigners -- two German and two Vietnamese doctors, and one Indian and two Filipino nurses -- were killed during the attack as AQAP fighters overran a hospital inside the defense ministry complex.

The US has launched 23 drone strikes in Yemen so far this year. Between July 27 and Aug. 10, the US launched nine strikes in Yemen, but no drone strikes were reported for seven weeks prior to July 27. The spike in attacks from the end of July to mid-August was related to an al Qaeda plot that was uncovered by US officials. The plot's discovery led the US to close down more than 20 embassies and diplomatic facilities across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The plot involved AQAP emir Nasir al Wuhayshi, who now also serves as al Qaeda's general manager.

Despite the uptick of activity at the end of July and into the second week of August, the pace of the strikes has decreased since last year. In 2012, the US launched 42 drone strikes in Yemen against AQAP and its political front, Ansar al Sharia. The previous year, the US launched 10 drone and air strikes against the al Qaeda affiliate. The strikes are being reduced as the US government is facing increasing international criticism for conducting the attacks in both Yemen and Pakistan.



Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/12/aqap_claims_assault.php#ixzz2n03qfF80

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drones kill 3 AQAP fighters in eastern Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, December 9, 2013

The US killed two al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in a drone strike today in an eastern province in Yemen where the terror group has stepped up its activities.

The remotely piloted strike aircraft fired several missiles at a vehicle as it traveled in the Al Qutn area of Hadramout, Reuters reported. The identity of those killed was not disclosed; a Yemeni intelligence official told the news agency that the bodies were burned beyond recognition.

The target of today's strike was not disclosed. No senior AQAP commanders or operatives are reported to have been killed at this time. AQAP has not released a statement on the attack.

Today's strike is the first reported in Yemen since Nov. 19, when three AQAP fighters were killed in the Ghayl Bawazir area of Hadramout.

Hadramout is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden's family, and the province has become an AQAP bastion over the past several years. In May, the Yemeni government claimed it foiled a plot by AQAP to establish an Islamic emirate in the Ghayl Bawazir area.

In 2012, the US stepped up drone strikes against AQAP in Hadramout. Prior to May 2012, there were zero US drone strikes in the province. From mid-May until the end of 2012, the US launched seven attacks in Hadramout. Seven of the 42 drone strikes in Yemen in 2012, or 17%, took place in the province. And so far this year, five of the 24 strikes in Yemen, or 21%, have occurred in Hadramout.



Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/12/us_drones_kill_3_aqa_2.php#ixzz2nBmnKTFm

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drone strike kills civilians in central Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, December 12, 2013

The US launched its second drone strike in Yemen this week, killing several civilians in an attack on a wedding convoy that is thought to have included members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Today's strike took place near the city of Rada'a in the central province of Baydah, The Associated Press reported. Yemeni military and intelligence officials said the drones hit a group of vehicles transporting members of a wedding party, but one Yemeni security official said al Qaeda members were thought to have been traveling with the convoy.

Fifteen people were killed and five more were wounded, according to Reuters. The initial press accounts indicate that all of those killed were civilians.

The US has mistakenly killed civilians in drone strikes in the past. On Sept. 2, 2012, the US killed 13 civilians in a strike in Rada'a, according to Yemeni tribesmen. The exact target of that strike is not known. Seventeen civilians are reported to have been killed in Yemen in 2013, and an additional 25 were killed in 2012, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal. Two hundred and ninety jihadists are reported to have been killed in drone strikes in Yemen in 2012 and 2013.

Rada'a was an AQAP stronghold in early 2012, when a senior AQAP leader known as Tariq al Dhahab took control of the town, raised al Qaeda's flag, and swore allegiance to al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri. Tariq was later killed by a brother who is opposed to al Qaeda.

Another brother, known as Kaid al Dhahab, took over to serve as AQAP's emir in the province of Baydah. The US killed Kaid in a drone strike in Baydah on Aug. 30.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/12/us_drone_strike_kill_24.php#ixzz2nJmxo18D

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drones kill 2 AQAP fighters in eastern Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, December 27, 2013

The US killed two suspected al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters today in the first drone strike since mid-December, when 15 civilians were reported to have been killed in another US attack in central Yemen.

The remotely piloted Predators or Reapers fired missiles at a pickup truck as it traveled near the town of Shibam in the eastern province of Hadramout today, Gulf News reported. The vehicle was destroyed and the bodies of those killed have not been identified, according to Agence France Presse.

No senior AQAP leaders or operatives are reported to have been killed at this time. AQAP does not comment on each strike that is carried out in Yemen.

Hadramout is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden's family, and the province has become an AQAP bastion over the past several years. In May, the Yemeni government claimed it foiled a plot by AQAP to establish an Islamic emirate in the Ghayl Bawazir area.

In 2012, the US stepped up drone strikes against AQAP in Hadramout. Prior to May 2012, there were zero US drone strikes in the province. From mid-May until the end of 2012, the US launched seven attacks in Hadramout. Seven of the 41 drone strikes in Yemen in 2012, or 17%, took place in the province. And so far this year, six of the 26 strikes in Yemen, or 23%, have occurred in Hadramout.

Today's strike is the first recorded in Yemen since Dec. 12, when US drones accidentally killed 15 civilians as they traveled in a wedding party in Rada'a in the central province of Al Baydah. Yemeni officials said that the strike targeted Shawqi Ali Ahmad al Badani, a wanted midlevel AQAP commander. Al Badani is said to be linked to the al Qaeda plot that resulted in the shuttering of US embassies and diplomatic facilities worldwide. US officials claimed that no civilians died in the strike, and that between nine and 12 AQAP fighters were killed.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/12/us_drones_kill_2_aqa_1.php#ixzz2ojWrLUEa

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drones kill 2 AQAP fighters in eastern Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, January 8, 2014

Two al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters were killed today in the first recorded US drone strike in Yemen or Pakistan this year.

The remotely piloted Predators or Reapers fired missiles at a vehicle as it traveled in the Al Qutn area of Yemen's Hadramout province, killing two suspected AQAP fighters, Reuters reported.

The identities of the two AQAP fighters have not been disclosed. No senior AQAP operatives or leaders are reported to have been killed. AQAP has not commented on today's strike.

Hadramout is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden, and the 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 provinces to government forces starting in late spring 2012. In May 2013, the Yemeni government claimed itfoiled a plot by AQAP to establish an Islamic emirate in the Ghayl Bawazir area.

In 2012, the US stepped up drone strikes against AQAP in Hadramout. Prior to May 2012, there were zero US drone strikes in the province. From mid-May until the end of 2012, the US launched seven attacks in Hadramout. Seven of the 41 drone strikes in Yemen in 2012, or 17%, took place in the province. In 2013, six of the 26 strikes in Yemen, or 23%, occurred in Hadramout.

Four of the past five drone strikes have taken place in Hadramout. Two of the strikes hit targets in Al Qutn; the other two strikes occurred in Ghayl Bawazir and Shibam.

Today's strike is the second recorded in Yemen since Dec. 12, when US drones accidentally killed 15 civilians as they traveled in a wedding party in Rada'a in the central province of Al Baydah. Yemeni officials said that the strike targeted Shawqi Ali Ahmad al Badani, a wanted midlevel AQAP commander. Al Badani is said to be linked to the al Qaeda plot that resulted in the shuttering of US embassies and diplomatic facilities worldwide. US officials claimed that no civilians died in the strike, and that between nine and 12 AQAP fighters were killed. The US has opened an investigation into the claims that civilians were killed in the Dec. 12 strike.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/01/us_drones_kill_2_aqa_2.php#ixzz2prebdhlB

 

[TruthSeeker]

US drone strike targets AQAP in central Yemen

By BILL ROGGIO, January 24, 2014

The US killed four al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters last night, in the third drone strike in Yemen so far this year.

The remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired several missiles at a vehicle transporting AQAP fighters in Wadi Abida in the central province of Marib on Thursday night, a Yemeni official told Xinhua. The official said the strike was executed "in coordination with the Yemeni interior ministry."

Yemen's Interior Ministry confirmed that it "foiled an attempt by al Qaeda militants to seize some government institutions in Marib province," Xinhua reported.

Four people were killed and seven more were wounded in the strike. The Associated Press reported that "three suspected al Qaeda militants" were killed.

AQAP is known to operate in Marib province, and the US has targeted AQAP in Wadi Abida three times in the past. Two of the strikes took place in 2013 and the other in 2012. A few years earlier, in March 2008, Wadi Abida was identified as the base of an al Qaeda group known as the Yemen Soldiers Brigade. The group claimed credit for mortar attacks against the US Embassy, the Italian Embassy, and a Western housing complex in Sana'a in 2008.



Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/01/us_drone_strikes_tar_1.php#ixzz2rT3jql5V

 

[TruthSeeker]

US kills 3 AQAP operatives in Yemen drone strike

By BILL ROGGIO, March 3, 2014

The US killed three al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in a drone strike in Yemen today. The strike is the first recorded in Yemen in more than five weeks. The target of the attack was a senior AQAP commander who in the past said he is not afraid of dying in a US airstrike.

The remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired a missile at a vehicle near Mayfa in Shabwa province. An AQAP operative known as Mujahid Gaber Saleh al Shabwani and two other AQAP operatives are reported to have been killed, The Hindu reported.

Al Shabwani was on a list of 25 wanted al-Qaeda operatives that was released by the Yemeni government in August 2013. He was among those who are wanted for attacking Yemeni government and security installations.

Abdul Razzaq al Jamal, a Yemeni journalist who is closely tied to AQAP and who often releases the group's propaganda, reported on his Facebook account that the target of today's airstrike was Sheikh Ma'moun Abdulhamid Hatem, an AQAP leader and cleric who is also a tribal leader in Ibb province. Hatem "escaped," according to al Jamal. US officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not comment on the target of the strike, but one intelligence official said Hatem is "a person of interest."

Hatem was interviewed by al Jamal in March 2013, and said he did not fear death from US drones as martyrdom while waging jihad is welcomed. Hatem also said that the drone strikes were increasing local support for AQAP.

AQAP is known to operate in Shabwa province. Most of the province was under AQAP control between May 2011 and May 2012.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/03/us_targets_aqap_comm.php