Yemen
YEM069
May 15 2012
♦ 14-16 killed
♦ 6-12 civilians reported killed
♦ 20-21 civilians reported injured
A double airstrike in Jaar reportedly killed up to a dozen civilians and injured as many as 21, as well as killing 2-10 suspected ‘Al Qaeda militants.’ Initial reports claimed that the attack was the work of the Yemen Air Force, with Xinhua describing ‘a botched air strike carried out by Yemeni warplanes’ on a residential building near a militant compound. However, shortly afterwards CNN reported that the attack had been carried out by US drones, killing eight civilians and injuring a further seven, along with three ‘senior al Qaeda leaders.’ Middle East Online also reported that the strike was the work of US drones, stating that eight civilian bodies had been pulled from the wreckage of a house, and that a further four of 25 civilians injured had later died. Two alleged militants were also killed, it said. In a slightly different version of events, Reuters said that a strike had hit cars and a house, killing ten militants, with a follow-up attack killing six civilians.
The civilian death toll was the highest attributed to US action in Yemen since an attack on a former police station in Mudiya killed up to 30 civilians on July 14 2011. In a possible worrying development, there were reports that drones had returned to the attack after crowds had gathered at the scene of the initial strike in Jaar. If confirmed, this would mark the first known case in which US drones had attacked rescuers in Yemen. In an investigation with the Sunday Times earlier this year the Bureau exposed a similar practice in Pakistan, identifying a dozen US strikes on rescuers that had killed more than 50 civilians.
Type of action: Air strikes, possible US drone strikes
Location: Jaar, Abyan province
References: Xinhua, CNN, Middle East Online, AFP, Reuters, Al Arabiya, Associated Press, The National, Reuters, Yemen Post, New York Times,
Pakistan
Obama 270 – May 5 2012
♦ 8-10 reported killed
♦ 1 injured
♦ 0-10 civilians reported killed
The CIA carried out its third drone strike during ongoing sensitive negotiations with Pakistan over the future of drone strikes in the country. Missiles hit an alleged militant training camp in the forested Shawal area, killing up to ten people. The Pakistan Observer reported local claims that the dead were ‘local tribesmen’ rather than militants. The Frontier Post reported that locals were afraid to assist in rescue work as up to four drones remained in the area after the attack. Pakistan’s government once again condemned the strike in strong terms, calling the attack ‘illegal’ and stating that
It is our considered view that the strategic disadvantages of such attacks far outweigh their tactical advantages, and are therefore, totally counter productive.
The attack came just days after chief US counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan said that the US would seek to respect other nations’ sovereignty in its drone strikes.
Location: Shawal, North Waziristan
References: AFP, MSNBC, Reuters, Associated Press, BBC, PTI, Frontier Post, The News International, The Nation (Pakistan), SANA, McClatchy
Related article: Arab Spring brings steep rise in US attacks in Yemen
For the complete Bureau data of Pakistan strikes click here.
