The US military has conducted at least four more strikes against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in the last two months, according to data acquired by FDD’s Long War Journal. But US Central Command (CENTCOM) has still not released details on any strikes against AQAP in Yemen in 2017.
FDD’s Long War Journal has twice inquired with CENTCOM about strikes against AQAP in Yemen in 2017. In mid-Sepember, CENTCOM told us the number was “more than 100.” Yesterday, CENTCOM told us the number was “more than 110,” six of which were conducted against the Islamic State.
The locations of the 2017 strikes against AQAP also remain undisclosed. In 2016, the plurality of US strikes against AQAP occurred in the Shabwah (17 strikes) and Al Bayda (10 strikes) governorates.
CENTCOM has, however, published details from strikes targeting the Islamic State in Yemen. US forces have targeted the Islamic State in Al Bayda province six times, the first of which occurred on Oct. 16, 2017.
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2 Comments
I am not interest in the number of strikes, rather just the results of the targets. Are we getting what we are aiming for? If not why not. It is all a numbers game, we must win!
The ability to look down from the sky gives extreme advantage. What we can see is amazing. Computers can recognize moving objects and track to buildings and then pick them up again as they come out in real time, record it all and develop patterns and algorithms. The numbers of strikes tells me the level of intelligence being created to justify the strikes themselves. Any documentary about the battle of Mosul or ar Raqqa shows commanders with Ipads with real time sat maps. The PBS documentary “The Rise of the Drones” tells us the story and its old news now. OPEN SOURCE AND OLD. What can they do now? There was a race to create the smallest sized drone that can carry a payload. Are they down to the size of a butterfly now? Is that a hummingbird or a weapons platform?