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| US raid on al-Qaeda in Yemen: What we know so far | US raid on al-Qaeda in Yemen: What we know so far |
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| US special operations forces operatives carried out a raid in central Yemen on Saturday, targeting the house of a suspected leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). | US special operations forces operatives carried out a raid in central Yemen on Saturday, targeting the house of a suspected leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). |
| The US military initially said an estimated 14 militants were killed and that one Navy commando also died. | The US military initially said an estimated 14 militants were killed and that one Navy commando also died. |
| But days later it acknowledged that a number of civilians were also "likely killed", after photographs of several dead children emerged on social media and the family of Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Yemeni-American cleric killed in a 2011 drone strike, said his young daughter had been shot dead. | But days later it acknowledged that a number of civilians were also "likely killed", after photographs of several dead children emerged on social media and the family of Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Yemeni-American cleric killed in a 2011 drone strike, said his young daughter had been shot dead. |
| Here's what we know and what's been reported. | Here's what we know and what's been reported. |
| The US special forces members targeted the compound of a suspected senior AQAP leader in the mountainous Yakla region of Bayda province - the focal point of recent US drone strikes in Yemen. | The US special forces members targeted the compound of a suspected senior AQAP leader in the mountainous Yakla region of Bayda province - the focal point of recent US drone strikes in Yemen. |
| The clandestine mission - the first authorised by President Donald Trump - was intended to enable the US to "gather the information we needed to be able to map out [AQAP] better, and to prevent future foreign terrorist attacks," Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said. | |
| After being dropped by aircraft near the compound, the US special forces members engaged in a fierce firefight with suspected AQAP militants inside, according to US officials. | After being dropped by aircraft near the compound, the US special forces members engaged in a fierce firefight with suspected AQAP militants inside, according to US officials. |
| Chief Petty Officer William Owens, a member of the elite US Navy special forces unit Seal Team 6, was killed in the battle, which is reported to have lasted about 50 minutes. | Chief Petty Officer William Owens, a member of the elite US Navy special forces unit Seal Team 6, was killed in the battle, which is reported to have lasted about 50 minutes. |
| Three other US service members were injured when an Osprey MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft made a hard landing during the operation, Capt Davis said, adding that the inoperable Osprey was subsequently destroyed in place by a US air strike. | Three other US service members were injured when an Osprey MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft made a hard landing during the operation, Capt Davis said, adding that the inoperable Osprey was subsequently destroyed in place by a US air strike. |
| AQAP said in a statement that its fighters downed a US Apache helicopter, one of four it said were used in the raid, and that a total of 16 missiles were fired at three homes. | AQAP said in a statement that its fighters downed a US Apache helicopter, one of four it said were used in the raid, and that a total of 16 missiles were fired at three homes. |
| It said one of its leaders, Abdul Rauf al-Dhahab, was killed, along with about 30 "villagers", including women and children whom it did not identify. | It said one of its leaders, Abdul Rauf al-Dhahab, was killed, along with about 30 "villagers", including women and children whom it did not identify. |
| Medics at the scene told Reuters news agency that about 30 people were killed, including 10 women and children, while a Yemeni official told the New York Times that at least eight women and seven children aged between three and 13 years old had died. | Medics at the scene told Reuters news agency that about 30 people were killed, including 10 women and children, while a Yemeni official told the New York Times that at least eight women and seven children aged between three and 13 years old had died. |
| The human rights group Reprieve said it had obtained evidence that as many as 23 civilians were killed, including 10 children. Reprieve also cited local reports as saying that a heavily pregnant mother was shot during the raid and subsequently gave birth to an injured baby boy, who died on Tuesday. | |
| Another child allegedly killed was Nawar al-Awlaki, the eight-year-old daughter of the AQAP ideologue Anwar al-Awlaki, according to her grandfather. | |
| Nasser al-Awlaki told NBC News that Nawar, also known as Nora, had been visiting her mother when the raid took place. | Nasser al-Awlaki told NBC News that Nawar, also known as Nora, had been visiting her mother when the raid took place. |
| "They were sitting in the house, and a bullet struck her in her neck at [02:30]. Other children in the same house were killed," the former agriculture minister said, adding that Nawar died two hours after being shot. | "They were sitting in the house, and a bullet struck her in her neck at [02:30]. Other children in the same house were killed," the former agriculture minister said, adding that Nawar died two hours after being shot. |
| "[The US special forces] entered another house and killed everybody in it, including all the women. They burned the house. There is an assumption there was a woman [in the house] from Saudi Arabia who was with al-Qaeda. All we know is that she was a children's teacher." | "[The US special forces] entered another house and killed everybody in it, including all the women. They burned the house. There is an assumption there was a woman [in the house] from Saudi Arabia who was with al-Qaeda. All we know is that she was a children's teacher." |
| Images circulated on social media and by local media outlets purported to show her body, alongside those of other children allegedly killed. | |
| Yemen's Foreign Minister, Abdul Malik al-Mekhlafi, also appeared to dispute the US military's account, writing on Twitter on Sunday: "The extrajudicial killings and killing civilians are condemned acts that support terrorism." | Yemen's Foreign Minister, Abdul Malik al-Mekhlafi, also appeared to dispute the US military's account, writing on Twitter on Sunday: "The extrajudicial killings and killing civilians are condemned acts that support terrorism." |
| On Monday, Capt Davis told reporters that the Pentagon was "assessing" the claims of civilian casualties, but said to "take reports of female casualties with a grain of salt". | On Monday, Capt Davis told reporters that the Pentagon was "assessing" the claims of civilian casualties, but said to "take reports of female casualties with a grain of salt". |
| "There were a lot of female combatants who were part of this," he added. "We saw during this operation as it was taking place that female fighters ran to pre-established positions as though they'd been trained to be ready and trained to be combatants." | "There were a lot of female combatants who were part of this," he added. "We saw during this operation as it was taking place that female fighters ran to pre-established positions as though they'd been trained to be ready and trained to be combatants." |
| On Wednesday, the US military Central Command issued a statement saying an investigations team had "concluded regrettably that civilian non-combatants were likely killed in the midst of a firefight" during the raid. | |
| It acknowledged that the casualties "may include children", but did not specify whether Nawar was among them. | It acknowledged that the casualties "may include children", but did not specify whether Nawar was among them. |
| "The known possible civilian casualties appear to have been potentially caught up in aerial gunfire that was called in to assist US forces in contact against a determined enemy that included armed women firing from prepared fighting positions, and US special operations members receiving fire from all sides to include houses and other buildings." | "The known possible civilian casualties appear to have been potentially caught up in aerial gunfire that was called in to assist US forces in contact against a determined enemy that included armed women firing from prepared fighting positions, and US special operations members receiving fire from all sides to include houses and other buildings." |
| Analysts were "carefully assessing whether additional non-combatant civilians that were not visible to the assault force at the time were mixed in with combatants", the statement added. | Analysts were "carefully assessing whether additional non-combatant civilians that were not visible to the assault force at the time were mixed in with combatants", the statement added. |
| Nawar al-Awlaki's 16-year-old brother, Abdulrahman, was killed in a US drone strike two weeks after the death of their father in September 2011. | Nawar al-Awlaki's 16-year-old brother, Abdulrahman, was killed in a US drone strike two weeks after the death of their father in September 2011. |
| Asked about the boy's death at the time, then White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said: "Maybe he should've had a more responsible father." | Asked about the boy's death at the time, then White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said: "Maybe he should've had a more responsible father." |
| Capt Davis said Saturday's raid had been planned months ago by the Obama administration but that the plans had been handed over to the Trump administration. | Capt Davis said Saturday's raid had been planned months ago by the Obama administration but that the plans had been handed over to the Trump administration. |