President Trump Confirms The Death Of Qassim al-Raymi, Al Qaeda Leader In Yemen

President Donald Trump confirmed that US forces had killed Qassim al-Raymi, the leader of militant group Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, in Yemen, on Feb 6, 2020.PHOTO: AFP

Daily Mail: Donald Trump confirms al-Qaeda leader Qassim al-Rimi has been killed in U.S. operation in Yemen - after his jihadist group claimed responsibility for deadly Florida naval base shooting

* Donald Trump said in a statement on Thursday that the U.S. at his direction conducted a counter-terrorism operation in Yemen that killed Qassim al-Rimi
* Al-Rimi is a founder of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula jihadist group
* The group claimed responsibility for the deadly shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida where a Saudi aviation trainee killed three American sailors
* While Trump confirmed reports that al-Rimi was killed, he did not say when the U.S. operation was conducted or offer any details about how it was carried out

President Donald Trump has confirmed that the U.S. killed the leader of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula jihadist group who claimed responsibility for a mass shooting at an American naval base.

Trump said in a statement on Thursday that the U.S. at his direction conducted a counter-terrorism operation in Yemen that killed Qassim al-Rimi.

Al-Rimi is a founder of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

The group has long been considered the global network's most dangerous branch for its attempts to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland.

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More News On The Death Of Qassim al-Raymi, Al Qaeda Leader In Yemen

U.S. kills al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula leader in Yemen -Trump -- Reuters
U.S. kills Qassim al-Raymi, leader of al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula -- France 24
Yemen Al-Qaeda leader al-Raymi killed by US strike -- BBC
Trump announces death of al-Qaeda leader in Yemen after US strike -- The Hill
Qassim al-Rimi: US forces killed al-Qaida leader in Yemen, Trump confirms -- The Guardian/AP
Trump confirms killing of AQAP chief in Yemen -- AFP
US has killed leader of jihadist al-Qaeda group in Yemen, Donald Trump confirms -- SCMP/AFP
White House announces death of terror leader Qassim al-Rimi -- CNN
White House confirms Al Qaeda leader in Yemen killed by airstrike -- FOX News
US confirms killing of al-Qaeda Arabian Peninsula leader -- DW
White House confirms death of AQAP leader -- Long War Journal

Al-Qaida's Top Leader In Yemen Killed In U.S. Air Strike

Qasim al-Raymi

Yahoo News: U.S. killed a top al-Qaida leader in Yemen, reports say

The leader of al-Qaida’s Yemen branch is believed to have been killed in a U.S. airstrike earlier this year.

The New York Times said three current or former U.S. officials “expressed confidence” that Qasim al-Raymi, the emir of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), was killed in Yemen, although there was no official confirmation.

U.S. forces had been tracking al-Raymi for months, and there was a $10 million price on his head.

It is unclear whether the strike was carried out by the U.S. military or the CIA. Spokespersons for U.S. Central Command, the National Security Council and the CIA declined to comment.

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WNU Editor: The US has been after this Al Qaeda leader for almost 10 years. His death will be a serious hit for Al Aqaeda.

More News On Al-Qaida's Top Leader In Yemen Killed In U.S. Air Strike

US airstrike targets Yemen’s al Qaeda chief -- Washington Examiner
US Expects Confirmation of al-Qaeda's Leader Death - Report -- Sputnik
US conducts strike targeting al Qaeda leader in Yemen -- CNN
Trump Takes Out Another Top Terrorist In The Middle East -- Daily Wire

Report: Saudi-UAE Coalition Is 'Cutting Deals' With al-Qaeda In Yemen

Daily Mail/AP: US-backed military coalition in war-torn Yemen is 'secretly PAYING al-Qaeda to leave cities and letting fighters retreat with weapons and looted cash without firing a shot at them - despite claiming key victories'

* US backed coalition claims to have made key victories over al-Qaeda in Yemen
* But investigation claims fighters are sometimes paid to leave city strongholds
* Others are 'allowed to leave with weapons and looted cash without shots fired'

A US-backed military coalition in Yemen has secretly paid al-Qaeda to leave cities and allowed others to retreat with weapons and looted cash, it has been claimed.

The Saudi led coalition has claimed 'again and again' to have made decisive victories over the past two years, forcing militants to abandon their strongholds in the war-torn country.

But many of those conquests came without firing a shot, according to an Associated Press investigation, which said al-Qaeda fighters have sometimes been allowed to retreat with arms and wads of money.

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More News On Reports That The Saudi-UAE Coalition Is 'Cutting Deals' With al-Qaeda In Yemen

Details of deals between US-backed coalition, Yemen al-Qaida -- AP
US-backed coalition paid al Qaeda fighters to retreat in Yemen: report -- The Hill
US allies in Yemen don’t defeat al-Qaeda, they pay it to go away instead -- Times of Israel
Report: Saudi-UAE coalition 'cut deals' with al-Qaeda in Yemen -- Al Jazeera
Saudi-led coalition ‘victories’ achieved by striking deals with Al-Qaeda in Yemen - AP report -- RT
America's Saudi-led allies are apparently paying off, recruiting al Qaeda in Yemen -- The Week
Report: Saudi coalition in Yemen working with al-Qaeda -- Axios
A look at al-Qaida's most lethal branch, Yemen's AQAP -- FOX News/AP

The U.S. War In Yemen Is Escalating

 
Long War Journal: U.S. Has Launched 'More Than 100 Strikes Against AQAP' in 2017

Last week, after the US launched an airstrike in Yemen against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), FDD’s Long War Journal noted that US Central Command (CENTCOM) has consistently maintained since April 2017 that it has conducted more than 80 attacks against the terror group. Over the weekend, we inquired with CENTCOM to see if that number has changed, and received a response that “To date, the US has conducted more than 100 strikes against AQAP militants, infrastructure, fighting positions and equipment.”

In addition to the updated strike total for Yemen, the response is interesting as it notes that AQAP operatives are not the only target of the air campaign: the US military is also hitting the entirety of the network. This is important as AQAP is not merely a grouping of cells with a leadership that can easily be decapitated; it is a networked jihadist insurgency that seeks to overthrow the Yemeni state. This jihadist insurgency operates hand in hand with AQAP’s desire to attack the West.

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WNU Editor:  100 air strikes .... and one can only speculate on the number of ground operations .... and we have a situation where it is obvious that the U.S. is deeply involved in the Yemen conflict. But there has been no debate, very little media attention, and a perception that the U.S. public that does not care. I guess this is what 16 years of continuous war does to a nation.

Yemen Government Forces With U.S. Special Forces Are Targeting Al Qaeda's Strongholds In The Country

New York Times: Thousands of Yemeni Forces Target Qaeda Stronghold

AL MUKALLA, Yemen — Thousands of Yemeni troops are conducting a clearing operation aimed at driving Qaeda militants from one of their major strongholds in southern Yemen, according to Arab and American security officials.

The offensive in Shabwa Province started last week and includes about 2,000 Yemeni forces backed by dozens of advisers from the United Arab Emirates, and a handful of United States Special Operations commandos providing intelligence and planning assistance, American officials said.

It is the largest military operation against Qaeda fighters in Yemen since Yemeni troops in armored vehicles and backed by airstrikes seized this major port city in April 2016, after the militants had used it as a base from which to storm through the southern part of the country.

The continuing operation is the latest phase of an increased campaign against the Yemeni militants since President Trump took office. It also reflects Mr. Trump’s general embrace of President Barack Obama’s strategy to aid local allies fighting insurgents in hot spots like Yemen, Somalia and Nigeria, rather than dispatch large numbers of American troops.

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WNU Editor: It appears that the focus of this campaign is to deprive these Al Qaeda affiliates of cash .... US-Backed Forces Evict Al Qaeda Group Oil & Gas Fields In Yemen (OilPrice.com).

More News On Yemen Government Forces With U.S. Special Forces Targeting Al Qaeda's Strongholds In The Country

Al-Qaeda ousted from oil-rich Yemen province: army -- Arab News/AFP
US, Yemeni and UAE forces target Al Qaeda stronghold -- Al Arabiya
US troops are fighting alongside UAE and Yemeni forces -- Middle East Monitor
US puts boots on the ground in Yemen to attack AQAP -- Air Force Times
US-backed Yemeni troops 'push al-Qaeda' out of Shabwa -- BBC
U.S.-backed Yemeni troops push al Qaeda from southern province -- Reuters
Qaeda Militias Dislodged from Yemen's Oil-Rich Southern Province -- Asharq Al-awsat
The DoD Is Turning Up The Heat On Al Qaeda In Yemen -- Task & Purpose

U.S. Navy SEAL Raid In Yemen Kills 7 Al Qaeda Militants

New York Times: Navy SEAL Team Kills 7 Militants in Yemen During Raid, U.S. Says

Members of the Navy’s elite SEAL Team 6 killed seven militants in central Yemen during an early Tuesday raid on a compound associated with Al Qaeda, American military officials said.

It was the first ground raid in Yemen that the military has acknowledged since Navy SEALs carried out a similar attack in late January — the first such operation authorized by President Trump. One Navy SEAL team member died and three others were injured in that mission, and as many as 25 civilians were killed.

In a statement after the operation, the United States Central Command said the latest raid targeted a compound in the governorate of Marib that was linked to the Qaeda affiliate in Yemen, known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP.

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WNU Editor: It looks like some drone and air strikes are now being replaced by on the ground special forces raids. This shift in operations is telling me that the U.S. military is becoming more focused on gathering intelligence.

More News On Today's U.S. Navy SEAL Raid In Yemen That Killed 7 Al Qaeda Militants

U.S. forces kill 7 suspected al-Qaeda militants in new Yemen raid -- Washington Post
Yemen raid kills 7 al-Qaeda militants, U.S. military says -- CBC/Reuters
Seven al Qaeda Militants Killed in Yemen Raid, U.S. Says -- NBC
US forces conduct raid against Al Qaeda fighters in Yemen, 7 militants killed -- FOX News
US Kills 7 Al-Qaida Militants in Yemen Raid -- VOA
US forces kill seven Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen raid -- Gulf Times/AFP
US military raid kills 7 al-Qaeda fighters in Yemen -- International Business Times
US raid kills 'seven al-Qaeda fighters' in Yemen -- Al Qaeda

Al Qaeda Leader in Yemen Says his Group Is Fighting Alongside U.S.-Backed Forces

Al Qaeda fighters in Yemen. (Wikipedia)

WNU Editor: This is embarrassing .... Al-Qaida leader says group fought alongside US-backed forces (AP).

U.S. Attempted A Second Yemen Raid Against Al Qaeda One Month After The Last One But Aborted It At The Last Minute

Special forces soldiers in the field (Shutterstock.com)

The Intercept: SEAL Team 6 Attempted a Second Yemen Raid One Month After Botched Operation

Navy SEALs attempted to conduct another raid inside Yemen earlier this month but aborted the mission at the last minute, according to a senior U.S. military official.

Members of SEAL Team 6 deployed to Yemen in early March for a ground assault targeting suspected members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a group U.S. officials view as the most dangerous branch of the terrorist organization. The aborted mission followed a botched January 29 raid in the village of al Ghayil, in al Bayda province. That raid left a Navy SEAL dead and two others seriously injured, and killed more than two dozen Yemeni civilians, including at least 16 women and children. The leader of AQAP, Qassim al Rimi, released a statement mocking Donald Trump and stating that 14 men died in the assault.

General Joseph Votel, who leads U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services committee last week, “We lost a lot in this operation. We lost a valued operator, we had people wounded, we caused civilian casualties, lost an expensive aircraft.”

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Update #1: US Navy Seal Team 6 Enigmatically Abandoned Second Raid on Al Qaeda in Yemen (Sputnik)
Update #2: SEAL Team 6 tried second Yemen raid Mar. 2 — but mysteriously aborted mission at the last minute (RAW Story)

WNU Editor: The raid may have been aborted in favor of drone strikes because of this .... Navy SEALs startled by terrorists’ combat readiness in Yemen mission (Washington Times). More here on the report of the botched January SEAL raid in Yemen .... US officials insist Navy SEAL raid in Yemen was not leaked in advance though they admit the terrorists were shockingly combat ready (Daily Mail)

US Launches Second Round Of Airstrikes On Al Qaeda Targets In Yemen

Reuters: U.S. hits al Qaeda in Yemen with new wave of strikes

The United States carried out another wave of strikes against al Qaeda in Yemen overnight, residents and U.S. officials said on Friday, in the latest sign of increasing U.S. military focus on a group whose strength has grown during Yemen's civil war.

A day after U.S. forces carried out more than 20 air strikes in Yemen, residents reported another U.S. assault in the Wadi Yashbum village in the southern Shabwah province including about 10 to 15 air strikes.

Residents said some of the strikes hit civilian homes and a number of civilians were among the wounded.

About three hours later, residents in the Jabal Mugan area of neighboring Abyan province also reported air strikes.

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WNU Editor: As I speculated yesterday .... it looks like last month's SEAL raid on an Al Qaeda base yielded some intel .... Hundreds of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula contacts found in Yemen raid, US official says (ABC News).

More News On The US Launching Second Round Of Airstrikes On Al Qaeda Targets In Yemen

Yemen: US air strikes 'target al-Qaeda' for second consecutive day -- BBC
8 Qaeda killed in second day of US strikes: Yemeni officials. -- AFP
Accelerating Yemen campaign, U.S. conducts flurry of strikes targeting al-Qaeda -- Washington Post
US launches second round of airstrikes in Yemen -- CNN
2nd night of US airstrikes in Yemen could mark escalated fight against terror group -- ABC News
US air raids target al-Qaeda in Yemen, wound civilians -- Al Jazeera
Pentagon: More than 30 airstrikes in Yemen since Thursday -- AP
Yemen officials see latest US strikes as sustained operation -- AP

Last Months U.S. Navy SEAL Yemen Raid Provided Al Qaeda Names And Contacts (Update)

CNN: US tries to ID hundreds of al Qaeda contacts thanks to Yemen raid

Washington (CNN)Several US officials told CNN Thursday that the US is now taking action to locate and monitor hundreds of people or "contacts" found as part the intelligence retrieved during the deadly raid last month in Yemen targeting al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Some of these people are believed to be in the West, but not in the United States.
The government is taking action to find and monitor these AQAP-linked individuals because of the threat they may pose to Europe, the officials added.

The fact that officials said they are actively pursuing leads uncovered from the raid indicates that the intelligence was indeed actionable despite some media reports to the contrary.

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Previous Post: What Was Seized In Last Months US Navy SEAL Raid On Al Qaeda

WNU Editor: I guess this explains why this happened today .... U.S. Launches 20 Airstrikes Against Al Qaeda In Yemen Overnight.

Update: One can also speculate that last months Yemen raid has now raised these concerns .... Terror Threat to U.S. Airports Said to Grow as al-Qaeda Rebounds (Bloomberg).

What Was Seized In Last Months US Navy SEAL Raid On Al Qaeda

Graffiti in Sana, Yemen, denouncing the United States’ military operations in the country. Credit Khaled Abdullah/Reuters

New York Times: Devices Seized in Yemen Raid Offer Some Clues to Qaeda Tactics

WASHINGTON — Computers and cellphones seized during a deadly Special Operations raid in Yemen in January offer clues about attacks Al Qaeda could carry out in the future, including insights into new types of hidden explosives the group is making and new training tactics for militants, according to American officials.

But it is still unclear how much the information advances the military’s knowledge of the plans and future operations of Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, although it may give a glimpse of its evolving tactics, the officials said.

The Trump administration has been eager to defend itself against assertions that the raid of a Qaeda safe house, in which a member of the Navy’s SEAL Team 6 was killed, was a failure because little meaningful intelligence material was seized. A military investigation was also ordered to determine whether women and children died in the raid.

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Update #1: Yemen raid yields data on Al Qaeda explosives, official says (FOX News/AP)
Update #2: Pence says Yemen raid that resulted in SEAL's death yielded 'significant intelligence' and lays a 'foundation for victories' – after White House asked Pentagon to provide details hours before Trump's speech to Congress (Daily Mail).

WNU Editor: Yup .... A raid in remote Yemen and a SEAL’s death still reverberate for Trump (Washington Post)

U.S. Launches 20 Airstrikes Against Al Qaeda In Yemen Overnight

NBC: U.S. Launches Air Strikes in Yemen

The U.S. has conducted a series of air strikes in Yemen against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Pentagon announced.

More than 20 strikes launched Thursday targeted AQAP militants, equipment and infrastructure in the Yemeni governorates of Abyan, Al Bayda and Shabwah, according to a statement by Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis.

A Pentagon official said the strikes were conducted by both drones and manned aircraft, and were not the direct result of information from January's SEAL raid, which also took place in Al Bayda. The official said information from the raid may have corroborated the targeting information, but the targets themselves were already known.

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U.S. Launches 20 Airstrikes Against Al Qaeda In Yemen Overnight

U.S. conducts airstrikes against Al Qaeda in Yemen, the first since ill-fated SEAL raid -- L.A. Times
U.S. pounds al Qaeda in Yemen with more than 20 strikes -- Reuters
More than 20 US airstrikes conducted in Yemen overnight -- ABC news
US launches first military action in Yemen since Navy SEAL Ryan Owens killed -- FOX News
U.S. bombs al-Qaida targets in Yemen -- UPI
More than 20 US strikes targeted Al-Qaeda in Yemen: Pentagon -- AFP
U.S. warplanes blast al-Qaeda in Yemen -- USA Today
Confirmed: US Conducts 20 'Precision Strikes' Against al-Qaeda in Yemen -- Sputnik

Al Qaeda's Leader of Yemen Was The Target In Last Week's U.S. Special Forces Raid

NBC: Yemen Raid Had Secret Target: Al Qaeda Leader Qassim Al-Rimi

The Navy SEAL raid in Yemen last week had a secret objective — the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who survived and is now taunting President Donald Trump in an audio message.

Military and intelligence officials told NBC News the goal of the massive operation was to capture or kill Qassim al-Rimi, considered the third most dangerous terrorist in the world and a master recruiter.

But while one SEAL, 14 al Qaeda fighters and some civilians, including an 8-year-old girl, were killed during a firefight, al-Rimi is still alive and in Yemen, multiple military officials said.

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More News On Reports That Al Qaeda's Leader of Yemen Was The Target In Last Week's U.S. Special Forces Raid

The Secret Target of Yemen Raid Escaped and Is Now 'Taunting Trump,' a Report Says -- Time
Source: A target of Yemen raid was al Qaeda chief -- CNN
Strike in Yemen missed al Qaeda leader: report -- The Hill
Head Of Al Qaeda In The Arabian Peninsula Target Of Navy SEAL Raid -- IBTimes
Terror leader targeted in Yemen raid survives, taunts U.S. in recording -- UPI
Leader of Al Qaeda in Yemen mocks Trump after raid -- FOX News/AP
Al Qaeda leader mocks 'the new fool of the White House' after Yemen raid -- CNN
Yemen Al Qaeda leader says U.S. raid on Yemen a blow to Trump -- Reuters
Donald Trump Called 'White House's New Fool' By Al Qaeda Leader Over US Raid In Yemen -- International Business Times

Al Qaea's Affiliate In Yemen Appears To Be A Formidable Foe

Washington Post: A deadly U.S. raid in Yemen reveals strength of al-Qaeda affiliate

CAIRO — A U.S. commando raid in Yemen that set off a fierce firefight revealed the growing strength of an al-Qaeda affiliate that has targeted both the United States and Europe in recent years.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, as the branch is known, had collected enough intelligence to anticipate the raid last weekend, Yemeni officials and analysts said. The militants also had the firepower to counterattack from their bastion, which was surrounded by land mines and other traps.

By the end of the raid, a Navy SEAL was dead and three other American troops were wounded. Yemeni officials said that as many as 30 civilians, including 10 women and children, were also killed. Among them was the 8-year-old daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, the Yemeni American al-Qaeda leader who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011.

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WNU Editor: The Washington Post is posting the obvious and catching up to blogs/websites like this one .... that al-Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen is a formidable force.

Al Qaeda Vows To Wage War Against The U.S. After The Yemen Raid

Photo: Qaeda Militants in Yemen (Photo: AFP)

Washington Post: Al-Qaeda says Trump has ignited ‘the flame of jihad’ with Yemen raid

IRBIL, Iraq — President Trump is “foolish” and has ignited the “flame of jihad” with a raid in Yemen in which civilians were killed, al-Qaeda said Friday in its first official comments on the new U.S. administration.

That the raid came only days after Trump’s vow to eradicate Islamist terrorism in his inauguration speech makes it “clear for us that the threat was not directed to the Islamic ­militants only, but to all the ­Muslims, men, women and even children,” al-Qaeda’s al-Nafeer bulletin said, accusing the Trump administration of intentionally killing women and children.

U.S. Central Command, or ­Centcom, has not specified how many civilians were killed in the raid last Saturday, in which a Navy SEAL also died. Among those reported dead was the ­8-year-old daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born cleric with al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen who was killed in a 2011 U.S. drone strike.

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WNU Editor: After waging war for decades against the U.S. .... Al Qaeda is telling us that they are now going to be serious .... and the Washington Post is telling us that they have a point?!?!?! Please .... give me a break.

Was Al Qaeda Tipped Off On The U.S. Raid Against Their Base In Yemen?

NBC: What Went Wrong? Inside the Yemen SEAL Raid

It might have been a barking dog, or a crashed drone, or overheard chatter on walkie talkies. But multiple military and intelligence sources told NBC News that something tipped off the terrorist targets of an early morning raid by the U.S. and its allies in Yemen on Sunday, and all hell broke loose.

A well-rehearsed mission that was supposed to extract computers and other intelligence from an al Qaeda camp near a mountain village turned into a massive firefight involving Harrier jets, helicopter gunships and gun-wielding jihadi women that killed one Navy SEAL, 14 al Qaeda fighters and, allegedly, non-combatant women and children.

According to a senior military official, one of the dead was an 8-year-old American girl, the daughter of U.S.-born al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki, who himself was killed in a U.S. strike in Yemen in 2011.

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WNU Editor: NBC is speculating via through its sources that Al Qaeda was tipped-off ... resulting in the firefight that resulted in this heavy loss of life. And while details on this operation are still secret, one thing is clear .... U.S. Special Forces certainly walked into a fight where the enemy was ready for them.

According To Yemeni Officials, U.S. Warships Are Firing On Al Qaeda Positions In Yemen

Reuters: Yemeni officials say warships, likely American, shell al Qaeda positions

Warships shelled suspected al Qaeda strongholds in a mountainous region of southern Yemen on Thursday, in what two Yemeni government officials said they believed was a U.S. operation.

U.S. officials could not be immediately reached for confirmation. The strikes come less than a week after a covert U.S. Navy SEAL raid, also in Yemen's south, the first ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump as commander in chief.

The naval attacks appear to be part of an intensifying campaign against one of the most active branches of the Islamist militant network.

"Ships fired several missiles towards the al-Maraqisha mountains, where al Qaeda elements are based. The ships are widely believed to be Americans," said one official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

"We have received no information on the outcome of the shelling."

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Update: Yemeni officials say US warships fire on al-Qaida positions (FOX News/AP)

WNU Editor: The Pentagon is denying these reports .... Pentagon Denies US Military Involved in Warship Strikes on Yemen (Sputnik).

Questions Arise On Sunday's U.S. Special Forces Raid Against Al Qaeda In Yemen

New York Times: Raid in Yemen: Risky From the Start and Costly in the End

WASHINGTON — Just five days after taking office, over dinner with his newly installed secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, President Trump was presented with the first of what will be many life-or-death decisions: whether to approve a commando raid that risked the lives of American Special Operations forces and foreign civilians alike.

President Barack Obama’s national security aides had reviewed the plans for a risky attack on a small, heavily guarded brick home of a senior Qaeda collaborator in a mountainous village in a remote part of central Yemen. But Mr. Obama did not act because the Pentagon wanted to launch the attack on a moonless night and the next one would come after his term had ended.

With two of his closest advisers, Jared Kushner and Stephen K. Bannon, joining the dinner at the White House along with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Mr. Trump approved sending in the Navy’s SEAL Team 6, hoping the raid early last Sunday would scoop up cellphones and laptop computers that could yield valuable clues about one of the world’s most dangerous terrorist groups. Vice President Mike Pence and Michael T. Flynn, the national security adviser, also attended the dinner.

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WNU Editor: The U.S. is continuing their attacks against Al Qaeda forces in Yemen .... U.S. reportedly still hammering Yemen militants after deadly raid (AP).

More News On Questions Arising On Sunday's U.S. Special Forces Raid Against Al Qaeda In Yemen

US says civilians likely killed in Yemen raid; inquiry begun -- AP
US military officials: Trump-ordered raid in Yemen that killed US Navy SEAL was approved 'without sufficient intelligence' -- Reuters
Trump's deadly first counterterrorism raid in Yemen had inadequate intel, ground support, military officials say -- NYD
Questions rise about Trump-ordered raid in Yemen -- The Hill
Yemen al-Qaeda: US says civilians 'likely' killed in raid -- BBC
U.S. military probing more possible civilian deaths in Yemen raid -- Reuters
8-year-old daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki among those killed in Yemen raid, report says -- FOX News
US admits civilians 'likely' killed in Yemen raid -- Al Jazeera
Questions mount over botched Yemen raid approved by Trump -- The Guardian
The Yemen Raid: Highlighting Four Key Issues -- Robert Chesney, Lawfare
The Navy SEAL Who Gave All in Yemen -- Michael Daly, Daily Beast

More Details Emerge On Sunday's U.S. Special Forces Raid Against An Al Qaeda Base In Yemen

BBC: US raid on al-Qaeda in Yemen: What we know so far

US special forces operatives carried out a raid in central Yemen on Sunday, targeting the house of a suspected leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

US officials have confirmed that one Navy commando died and three more service members were wounded, and say 14 al-Qaeda fighters were killed. Unconfirmed reports suggested a number of civilians were killed, including an eight-year-old girl whose father and brother were killed in drone strikes six years ago.

Here's what we know and what's been reported.

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More News On Sunday's U.S. Special Forces Raid Against An Al Qaeda Base In Yemen

During troubled Yemen raid, U.S. troops fought and killed several women trained by al-Qaida -- Military Times
US says female Al-Qaeda combatants killed in Yemen raid -- AFP
Navy SEAL Team 6 Members Fought Female Fighters in Yemen Raid -- Military.com
Women Killed in Yemen Raid Were Qaeda Fighters, Pentagon Says -- New York Times
Navy SEAL, 8-year-old American girl died in Yemen raid -- NBC
Pentagon IDs Navy SEAL killed in Yemen raid -- UPI
Pentagon identifies Navy SEAL killed in Yemen raid -- Navy Times
U.S. Raid in Yemen Garners Intelligence -- US Department of Defense

Has Al Qaeda Been Defeated In Yemen?

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Michael Morell, Politico: The Giant Al Qaeda Defeat That No One’s Talking About

With little notice, the Saudis and UAE knocked out a key Al Qaeda stronghold in Yemen.

Something significant and positive just happened in the Middle East, and most Americans are not aware of it. The United Arab Emirates, under the banner of a Saudi-led coalition, late last month delivered a major blow to the most lethal Al Qaeda group on the planet—Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the primary Islamic extremist group operating in Yemen.

The Sunni Gulf states are often painted in the Western media as shying away from a fight, not being capable of a fight and not willing to deal with terrorists and extremists in their midst. The UAE operation in Yemen proved that none of these characterizations are true of Abu Dhabi.

AQAP has long been, and still is, a threat to the American homeland. The past three attempted terrorist attacks in the United States by an outside group were conducted by AQAP—the 2009 attempt to bring down an airliner flying to Detroit by the so-called underwear bomber, the 2010 attempt to bring down U.S.-flagged cargo planes flying from the Middle East to the United States by hiding bombs in printer cartridges, and the 2011 plot to bring down a civilian airliner flying to the United States with a sophisticated suicide vest containing no metallic parts.

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WNU Editor: I have been hearing stories on the defeat of Al Qaeda has been defeated for years .... I can add this one to the list.