Editing Terrorism in Yemen (section)

===2011 airstrikes===
On May 5, 2011, a missile fired from a US drone killed Abdullah and Mosaad Mubarak, brothers who may have been al-Qaeda militants. The missile struck their car, and both died instantly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/May-06/Suspected-US-drone-missile-strike-leaves-2-militants-dead-in-Yemen.ashx#axzz1LcYNJi3X|title=Suspected U.S. drone missile strike leaves 2 militants dead in Yemen|work=The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon|access-date=October 26, 2014|archive-date=October 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007010251/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/May-06/Suspected-US-drone-missile-strike-leaves-2-militants-dead-in-Yemen.ashx#axzz1LcYNJi3X|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g6LdXwFbdblX-X1pLYfnLh_-K-Sw?docId=CNG.3bce48042eb243fc76055628cd8a2455.ae1] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321074349/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g6LdXwFbdblX-X1pLYfnLh_-K-Sw?docId=CNG.3bce48042eb243fc76055628cd8a2455.ae1|date=March 21, 2013}}</ref> The strike intended to kill al-Qaeda propagandist [[Anwar al-Awlaki]], but he was not hit in the strike.<ref>Mazzetti, Mark, "Drone Strike In Yemen Was Aimed At Awlaki", ''The New York Times'', May 7, 2011, p. 11; Coker, Margaret, "Drone Targets Yemeni Cleric", ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', May 7, 2011, p. 1.</ref>

On June 3, 2011, American manned jets (or drones) killed Ali Abdullah Naji al-Harithi, a mid-level al-Qaeda operative, and several other militant suspects, including [[Ammar Abadah Nasser al-Wa'eli]], in a strike in southern Yemen.<ref>[[Bill Roggio|Roggio, Bill]], "[http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/07/aqap_confirms_2_comm.php AQAP confirms deaths of 2 commanders in US airstrike] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220002212/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/07/aqap_confirms_2_comm.php |date=December 20, 2021 }}", ''[[Long War Journal]]'', July 21, 2011.</ref> Four civilians were also reportedly killed in the strike, reportedly coordinated by American special forces and CIA operatives based in [[Sanaa]].<ref>Mazzetti, Mark, "U.S. Is Intensifying A Secret Campaign Of Yemen Airstrikes", ''The New York Times'', June 9, 2011.</ref> According to the [[Associated Press]], in 2011 the US government began building an air base near Yemen from which the CIA and the US military planned to fly drones over Yemen.<ref>Associated Press, "Secret CIA drone base being built to target Yemen militants", ''[[Japan Times]]'', June 16, 2011, p. 1.</ref><ref>DeYoung, Karen, "U.S. Air Attacks In Yemen Intensify", ''[[The Washington Post]]'', September 17, 2011, p. 1.</ref> This base is located at [[Umm Al Melh Border Guards Airport|Umm Al Melh]], just north of Yemen inside Saudi Arabia. ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that the US previously used a base in [[Djibouti]] to fly drones over Yemen,<ref>Whitlock, Craig, and Greg Miller, "[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-building-secret-drone-bases-in-africa-arabian-peninsula-officials-say/2011/09/20/gIQAJ8rOjK_story.html U.S. assembling secret drone bases in Africa, Arabian Peninsula, officials say] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003122008/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-building-secret-drone-bases-in-africa-arabian-peninsula-officials-say/2011/09/20/gIQAJ8rOjK_story.html |date=October 3, 2017 }}", ''The Washington Post'', September 21, 2011.</ref> while ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that a US drone base in the [[Seychelles]] could be used to fly drones over Yemen.<ref>Barnes, Julian E., "U.S. Expands Drone Flights To Take Aim At East Africa", ''The Wall Street Journal'', September 21, 2011, p. 1.</ref>

According to local residents and unnamed American and Yemeni government officials, on July 14, 2011, US manned aircraft (or drones) attacked and destroyed a police station in Mudiya, [[Abyan Governorate]] which had been occupied by al-Qaeda militants. Yemeni media and government accounts conflicted on the number of fatalities, estimated at between 6 and 50. The same day and nearby, drone missiles reportedly hit a car belonging to Yemeni al-Qaeda leader [[Fahd al-Quso]], but al-Quso survived the attack.<ref>Arrabyee, Nasser, and Mark Mazzetti, "U.S. Strikes In Yemen Said To Kill 8 Militants", ''The New York Times'', July 15, 2011, p. 9.</ref><ref>[[Bill Roggio|Roggio, Bill]], "[http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/07/us_airstrike_kills_6_1.php US airstrike kills 6 al Qaeda fighters in Yemen: report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220002921/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/07/us_airstrike_kills_6_1.php |date=December 20, 2021 }}", ''Long War Journal'', July 14, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/us-airstrike-kills-6-1014955.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718205718/http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/us-airstrike-kills-6-1014955.html|date=July 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/world/middleeast/15yemen.html | work=The New York Times | first1=Nasser | last1=Arrabyee | first2=Mark | last2=Mazzetti | title=U.S. Strikes in Yemen Said to Kill 8 Militants | date=July 14, 2011 | access-date=February 20, 2017 | archive-date=December 15, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215135858/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/world/middleeast/15yemen.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Whitlock, Craig, and Mohammed al-Qadhi, "Al-Qaeda Fugitive In Yemen Eludes Attack", ''The Washington Post'', July 16, 2011, p. 9.</ref>

On August 1, 2011, US drones and reported Yemeni aircraft attacked three targets with bombs and missiles in southern Yemen, killing 15 suspected al-Qaeda militants and wounding 17 others.  Targeted locations included al-Wahdah, al-Amodiah, and al-Khamilah in Abyan Governorate. One of those killed was reportedly militant leader Naser al-Shadadi. According to the ''Yemen Post'' online newspaper, "At least 35 US drone attacks were reported in Yemen over the last two months".<ref>Al-Qadhi, Mohammed, "Airstrikes Kill Militants In S. Yemen", ''The Washington Post'', August 2, 2011, p. 9.</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/militants-killed-in-air-attacks-in-south-yemen/2011/08/01/gIQArZmDoI_story.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | first=William | last=Wan | date=August 2, 2011 | title=Militants killed in air attacks in south Yemen | access-date=September 15, 2017 | archive-date=July 31, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731153507/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/militants-killed-in-air-attacks-in-south-yemen/2011/08/01/gIQArZmDoI_story.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://yemenpost.net/Detail123456789.aspx?ID=3&SubID=3873&MainCat=3|title=US Drones Kill 15 in Yemen's Abyan Province- Yemen Post English Newspaper Online|work=yemenpost.net|access-date=September 30, 2015|archive-date=August 2, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110802234825/http://yemenpost.net/Detail123456789.aspx?ID=3&SubID=3873&MainCat=3|url-status=live}}</ref> On August 24, unidentified aircraft attacked suspected al-Qaeda militants near Zinjibar. The strikes reportedly killed 30 militants and wounded 40 others.<ref>Al-Haj, Ahmed, [[Associated Press]], "[http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/08/ap-yemen-airstrikes-kill-30-militants-082411/ Yemen strikes kill 30 al-Qaida-linked fighters]", ''[[Military Times]]'', August 24, 2011.</ref>

According to Yemeni officials, as reported in the ''[[Long War Journal]]'', US airstrikes in southeast Abyan province from August 30 to September 1 killed 30 [[Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula|AQAP]] militants reportedly engaged in combat with Yemeni military forces.<ref>[[Bill Roggio|Roggio, Bill]], "[http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/09/us_airstrikes_in_sou.php US airstrikes in southern Yemen kill 30 AQAP fighters: report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220003553/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/09/us_airstrikes_in_sou.php |date=December 20, 2021 }}", ''Long War Journal'', September 1, 2011.</ref> Two airstrikes by US-operated aircraft on September 21 reportedly killed four AQAP fighters in Abyan and seven AQAP fighters in Shaqra.<ref>Roggio, Bill, "[http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/09/us_airstrikes_kill_a.php US airstrikes kill AQAP fighters in southern Yemen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220002917/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/09/us_airstrikes_kill_a.php |date=December 20, 2021 }}", ''Long War Journal'', September 22, 2011.</ref> On September 30 US drone-launched missiles killed four people, including al-Qaeda propagandist [[Anwar al-Awlaki]], in [[Al Jawf Governorate]]. The strike also killed Samir Kahn, the American-born editor of ''[[Inspire (magazine)|Inspire]]'' magazine. It was the first known time that the US deliberately targeted US citizens in a drone attack.<ref>Almasmari, Hakim, Margaret Coker, and Siobhan Gorman, "Drone Kills Top Al Qaeda Figure", ''The Wall Street Journal'', October 1, 2011, p. 1.</ref>

A reported drone strike in Zinjibar on October 5 killed five AQAP militants.<ref>''The New York Times'', "Drone Strike In Yemen", October 6, 2011.</ref> Yemeni government officials said that an October 14 US airstrike killed seven AQAP militants, including Egyptian-born AQAP media chief Ibrahim al-Bana.<ref>[[Associated Press]], "Yemen Says Local Al-Qaida Chief, 6 Others Killed", ''[[Arizona Daily Star]]'', October 15, 2011.</ref> Eight militants were reportedly killed in an airstrike near Jaar on December 17; a December 22 drone strike near Zinjibar reportedly killed Abdulrahman al-Wuhayshi, a relative of Yemeni al-Qaeda leader [[Nasir al-Wuhayshi]].<ref>[[Reuters]], "U.S. Drone Kills Yemen Al Qaeda Leader's Relative: Source", December 23, 2011.</ref>