Local Editor
In the latest sign of increasing U.S. military focus on a group whose strength has grown during Yemen’s civil war, the United States has carried out airstrikes for a second consecutive day against suspected al-Qaeda targets in Yemen. According to the US Defense Department, the US military conducted over 30 strikes against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula over the past two nights in Shabwah, Abyan and Bayda provinces. Since a January commando raid, the United States has shown a desire to both strike al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and to recover from an intelligence shortfall about the group since Yemen’s civil war forced the closure of the U.S. Embassy in 2015.
The latest American airstrikes come a month after a US raid that killed a US Navy SEAL William “Ryan” Owens, injured six American soldiers and led to the destruction of a $75 million military aircraft. The U.S. military did not disclose how many al Qaeda fighters were killed on Friday but it is reported that about 30 Yemeni civilians, including 10 women and children were killed in this attack. The US has carried out drone strikes against alleged AQAP militants for years, but civilians frequently fall victim to such attacks.
Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said at a news briefing on Friday, “Make no mistake, while we talk a lot about ISIS, AQAP is the organization that has more American blood on its hands. It is a deadly terrorist organization that has proven itself to be very effective in targeting and killing Americans.”
The AQAP has taken advantage of the chaos and breakdown of security in Yemen to tighten its grip on the southern and southeastern parts of the crisis-hit country.
While giving a standing ovation to Owen’s widow during an address to the Congress, President Donald Trump stated that “large amounts of vital intelligence” was acquired in this operation and it’ll lead to “many victories in the future.” However the U.S. defence officals have termed the intelligence as “good” and “potentially actionable” which will help them in understanding and developing the network in order to combat these forces.
This week’s strikes were conducted through “manned and unmanned” means, and Davis did not rule out that US ships in the region had also been involved.
Residents in a village in Shabwah province say the American attacks targeted civilian homes and wounded an unknown number of people, including women and children. Yemeni sources said that eight suspected al-Qaeda militants were also killed in the strikes. Critics have questioned these attacks and have termed it as a failure since it has resulted in the death of many innocent people.
Successive American administrations have kept up a drone war against Al-Qaeda in Yemen since soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Washington regards the Yemen branch to be the jihadists’ most dangerous, and holds it responsible for several plots to stage attacks in the West.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
