US Forces in Yemen

Mabkhout Ali al Ameri with his 18-month old son Mohammed, shortly after a botched US raid on al Ghayil in January 2017 had killed at least 20 villagers, including Mohammed's mother Fatim Saleh Mohsen. © Iona Craig

Belligerent
US Forces
Country
Yemen
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Strike Status
Strike Type
Infrastructure

Incident date

November 7, 2012

Incident Code

USYEM135-C

LOCATION

السرين, Sirin, Sana'a, Yemen

An alleged US drone strike killed two to four people, including one civilian (child) and two to three Al Qaeda militants from the AQAP (Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) branch, and injured one to three other militants in Beit Al Ahmar in the town of Sanhan in the Sana’a Governorate on the November 7th, 2012

Summary

First published
November 7, 2012
Last updated
May 13, 2025
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Infrastructure
Car, Vehicle
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 child)
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Suspected target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Belligerents reported killed
2–3
Belligerents reported injured
1–3
View Incident

Incident date

January 26, 2018

Incident Code

USYEMTr141-C

LOCATION

المصينعه, Al Mushainaah, Shabwa, Yemen

Five civilians and two off duty Yemen soldiers from two local families, all men, were reportedly killed by a US drone strike in or near Al Mushainaah village, in the Saeed district of Shabwa governorate, at around midnight between January 26th-27th 2018. At the time of the strike, the men were reportedly searching for a

Summary

First published
January 26, 2018
Last updated
May 12, 2025
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Infrastructure
Car, Vehicle
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
5 – 7
(7 men)
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Named victims
7 named, 2 families identified
Belligerents reported killed
7
View Incident

Incident date

March 2, 2017

Incident Code

USYEMTr012-C

LOCATION

منطقة ‎‎ال عتيق, Al Ateeq area, Shabwa, Yemen

Several sources reported that US airstrikes targeted AQAP militants in Wadi Yashbum, Shabwa province, at dawn on March 2nd 2017. Some local language Twitter sources reported that three areas of the Yashbum Valley had been targeted by US strikes simultaneously.  There were some allegations of civilian harm from the wider US campaign in the area,

Summary

First published
March 2, 2017
Last updated
May 12, 2025
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Infrastructure
Prayer Space, Religious, Residential
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
8
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Suspected target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Belligerents reported killed
4–8
View Incident

Incident date

June 15, 2023

Incident Code

USYEMBi011

LOCATION

المصينعة, Al Musinaa, Shabwa, Yemen

An Al Qaeda leader was killed and four soldiers in the Shabwa Defense Forces were injured by alleged US drone strikes in Al Musinaa in Shabwa governorate on June 15, 2023. A tweet from @aboalfatl2019 reported that “leader” Abu Muhammad al-Shalwani al-Awlaki was killed by American drones in Shaab Madhab in the Musinaa area. @egl3000

Summary

First published
June 15, 2023
Last updated
December 15, 2024
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 belligerent
US Forces
Suspected target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Belligerents reported killed
1
Belligerents reported injured
4
View Incident

Incident date

November 28, 2024

Incident Code

USYEMBi027

LOCATION

مديرية باجل، محافظة الحديدة, Bajel District, Al-Hudaydah, Yemen

At around 5:20 PM on November 28th, 2024, two alleged American airstrikes hit the Bajel District in Al-Hodeida Governorate in Western Yemen. The strikes reportedly injured at least one civilian, Tareq Sufiany, who was at one point trapped under the rubble of a building that was reportedly struck. A video shared to Facebook by Zahir

Summary

First published
March 24, 2025
Last updated
March 26, 2025
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Civilians reported injured
1
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected belligerents
UK Military, US Forces
Named victims
1 named
Geolocation
District
View Incident

Incident date

April 27, 2025

Incident Code

USYEM250427a

LOCATION

منطقة ثقبان بمديرية بني الحارث, Thaqban area, Bani al-Harith District, Sanaa, Yemen

code: USYEM250427a
incident_date: 2025-04-27
status: publish
civilian_harm_status: Fair

Summary

First published
May 16, 2025
Last updated
June 3, 2025
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
House, Residential, Truck, Vehicle
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
11 – 13
(8 children2 women1 man)
Civilians reported injured
4
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Named victims
13 named, 3 families identified
Geolocation
Exact location (via Airwars)
View Incident

Incident date

May 5, 2011

Incident Code

USYEM014-B

LOCATION

شبوة‎, Shabwa province, Shabwa, Yemen

Two to three middle-ranking Al Qaeda affiliates were killed and another was injured due to a US drone strike, originally targeting US-born cleric Anwar al Awlaki in the province of Shabwa in the morning of May 5th, 2011. In one of the first recorded US attack using remotely piloted drones since 2002, during Yemen’s Arab

Summary

First published
May 5, 2011
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
0
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Suspected target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Belligerents reported killed
2–3
Belligerents reported injured
1
View Incident

Incident date

April 14, 2012

Incident Code

USYEM060-B

LOCATION

الزاهر, Zahir district, Al Bayda, Yemen

Yemen defense officials announced that an alleged American unmanned drone allegedly struck a car that included a number of Ansar al Sharia and Al Qaeda members in the al Zahir district of Bayda province on April 14, 2012, killing between three and eight militants. The nighttime raid turned the car into a “collection of charred

Summary

First published
April 14, 2012
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
0
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Suspected target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Belligerents reported killed
3–8
View Incident

Incident date

June 19, 2012

Incident Code

USYEM107-B

LOCATION

يافع, Yafa'a district, Lahij, Yemen

Three militants were killed when a vehicle was destroyed in Yafa’a district south of Bayda province by alleged Yemeni or US airstrikes on June 19, 2012, local and international media reported. There are currently no known reports of civilian harm. According to reporting from Reuters, Yemeni state news (Saba) reported that on June 19th, Yemeni

Summary

First published
June 19, 2012
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Contested strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
0
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Suspected belligerents
US Forces, Yemeni Air Force
Suspected target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Belligerents reported killed
3
View Incident

Incident date

April 17, 2013

Incident Code

USYEM150-C

LOCATION

وصاب العالي, Wessab al Ali District, Dhamar, Yemen

Up to four civilians were killed in an alleged U.S drone strike in Wessab al Ali on the 17th of April 2013. However there is some discrepancy in earlier reports which alleged all killed were militants. A suspected Al Qaeda leader Hamid al Radami (aka Hammed al Masea Meftah, Hamed Radman, Hamid Radman al Manea,

Summary

First published
April 17, 2013
Last updated
May 22, 2025
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Infrastructure
Car, Residential, Vehicle
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
0 – 4
(0–4 men)
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Suspected target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Named victims
4 named
Geolocation
District
Belligerents reported killed
0–5
View Incident

Incident date

November 8, 2011

Incident Code

USYEM044-N

LOCATION

الرميلة, Rumeila, north of Ja’ar, Abyan, Yemen

The militant stronghold of Rumeila was targeted by “five US drone strikes,” according to an unnamed Yemeni official based in Jaar. There are currently no known reports of civilian harm. According to AFP: “Meanwhile, Rumeila, north of Jaar, which itself is an Al-Qaeda stronghold, was also targeted Tuesday by ‘five US drone strikes,’ the same

Summary

First published
November 8, 2011
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
0
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Suspected target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
View Incident

Incident date

August 31, 2019

Incident Code

USYEMTr209

LOCATION

عرقوب, Arqoub, Abyan, Yemen

code: USYEMTr209
incident_date: 2019-08-31
status: publish
civilian_harm_status:

Summary

First published
August 31, 2019
Last updated
June 9, 2025
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Naval bombardment
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Suspected belligerents
US Forces, United Arab Emirates Military
Suspected target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Belligerents reported killed
12–24
View Incident

Incident date

May 15, 2011

Incident Code

USYEM013-N

LOCATION

أَبْيَن , Abyan province, Abyan, Yemen

An anonymous Yemen defence ministry official claimed that a significant number of US drone strikes had taken place between mid-May and mid-June 2011. Strikes began in Shabwa province from May 3 onwards. According to The National, 15 US strikes took place between June 1 and June 15, including one on June 11 in which there

Summary

First published
May 15, 2011
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Suspected target
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
View Incident

Incident date

March 23, 2025

Incident Code

USYEM250323a

LOCATION

بالقرب من مدرسة أبو بكر الصديق، مديرية معين، صنعاء, Vicinity of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq School, Ma'in District, Sanaa, Sanaa, Yemen

At least one civilian, a child, was killed and up to fifteen others wounded – including five children and two women – by an alleged US airstrike on a residential building in the Ma’in District of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a during the evening of 23 March, 2025. The strike reportedly hit the building in front of

Summary

First published
March 23, 2025
Last updated
April 29, 2025
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Commerce, Market, Residential, Vehicle
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1 – 2
(1 child)
Civilians reported injured
12–15
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Named victims
2 named
Geolocation
Exact location (via Airwars)
View Incident