The airstrikes were conducted between January and September, with no strikes occurring in the following three months, the Jan. 7 report noted. The strikes hit areas in Abyan, al Bayda, Hadramawt, Shabwah, and Zamakh governorates.
In January, CENTCOM conducted 10 airstrikes that targeted both AQAP and ISIS. In February, the United States conducted six airstrikes on AQAP, seven in March, and four in April.
CENTCOM conducted two airstrikes in May, two in June, another two in July, one in August, and two more in September—all targeting AQAP terrorists.
The report highlights U.S. efforts in fighting ISIS, coming shortly after President Donald Trump’s announcement to withdraw about 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria. Despite the pullout, Trump has reiterated his commitment to defeating ISIS.
Turning to Twitter, the president said that troops would still be leaving at a “proper pace,” an apparent response to media reports stating that his intentions in Syria had changed.
Amid the reports, Trump said the U.S. military had killed Jamal al-Badawi, the man who led the deadly terrorist attack in 2000 on the USS Cole. Al-Badawi was targeted in a strike carried out in Yemen on Jan. 4.