Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) and the War on Terror
Raid location
Raid location (Yemen)
Date
29 January 2017
Location
Al-Ghayil, Wald Rabi' District, Al Bayda Governorate, Yemen
Result
Mission failure
Target not found[1]
White House and Defense Secretary claim the raid was a success and generated large amounts of vital intelligence[2]
Pentagon claims one terabyte of information on AQAP was captured[3]
Senior U.S. officials later claim raid produced no significant intelligence[1]
Belligerents
United States United Arab Emirates
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
al-Dhahab Tribesmen
Commanders and leaders
Donald Trump James Mattis Raymond A. Thomas Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Abdul Rauf al-Dhahab † Sultan al-Dhahab † Seif al-Joufi †[4][5] Abu Barazan[6]
Strength
United States
40 DEVGRU operators (Gold Squadron)
2 V-22 Osprey tiltrotors
2 Harrier jets[7]
United Arab Emirates
Unknown number of commandos
Unknown
Casualties and losses
1 killed 3 wounded 1 V-22 Osprey destroyed
14 killed (U.S. estimate)
10[8]–30[9] civilian casualties (including at least 10 women and children, and 1 U.S. citizen)
v
t
e
Yemeni crisis
Revolution (2011–12)
Saada
Sana'a
Taiz
Dammaj
Ansar al-Shariah campaign (2011–14)
Zinjibar
Dofas
Abyan
2012 Sana'a
Radda
Nov 2013 Sanaa
Dec 2013 Sana'a
Rescue operations
Houthi rebellion (2014)
2nd Dammaj
Amran
Civil war (2014–present)
2nd Battle of Sana'a
Rada'a [ar]
Houthi takeover
1st Shabwah
Saudi-led intervention
Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict
Taiz
Marib governorate
Marib city
Dhale
Aden
airport
2015
2018
2019
Abyan
2015 campaign
2016 southern offensive
Lahij
2015 Shabwah
2015 Mukalla
Zinjibar and Jaar
Nihm
Port Midi
Hadramaut
Al Masini
Battle of Mukalla
June 2016 Mukalla
2017 Battle of Sana'a
Al Hudaydah
Al Hudaydah city
Masini
Takeover of Socotra
Victory from God
Jabara
Al-Jawf offensive
Al Bayda offensive
2022 Southern Yemen
Operation Prosperity Guardian
Bombings and terrorist attacks in Yemen
Radda
Ibb
Jan 2015 Sana'a
Mar 2015 Sana'a
Sep 2015 Sana'a
Oct 2015 Aden
Dec 2015 Aden
4 Mar 2016 Aden
25 Mar 2016 Aden
May 2016 Mukalla
May 2016 Aden
Aug 2016 Aden
Dec 2016 Aden
Mar 2022 Aden
Mar 2024 al-Bayda
Houthi missile and drone attacks in Yemen
2015 Marib
2015 Taiz
2016 al-Anad
2019 al-Anad
Aug 2019 Aden
Jan 2020 Marib
Aug 2020 Marib
Dec 2020 Aden airport
US–Saudi arms deal
Peace process
Saudi-led intervention (2015–present)
Saudi Arabian airstrikes on Yemen
Mokha
Sana'a
Hajjah
Dahyan
Dhamar
Saada
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia
2018 Riyadh
Abha Airport
Abqaiq–Khurais
2020 Riyadh
Houthi attacks on the United Arab Emirates
2022 Abu Dhabi
U.S. raids on al-Qaeda
Yakla
Hathla
Red Sea crisis (2023–present)
Timeline
Attacks
Attacks on the MV Maersk Hangzhou
2023 attack on the Chem Pluto
Marlin Luanda missile strike
Sinking of the MV Rubymar
Military operations
Operation Prosperity Guardian
Operation Aspides
Operation Poseidon Archer
Diplomacy
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2722
Effects
Environmental impact
Humanitarian crisis
Blockade
Disease outbreaks
Cholera
COVID-19
Famine
Locust infestation
Refugees on Jeju Island
War crimes and human rights violations
The Raid onYakla was a joint United States/United Arab Emirates military operation carried out on January 29, 2017 in al-Ghayil, a village in the Yakla area of the Al Bayda Governorate of central Yemen,[10][11] during the Yemeni civil war. Prepared by U.S. counterterrorism officials under President Barack Obama, the mission was ultimately authorized by President Donald Trump nine days into his presidency.[12] The mission's goal was to gather intelligence on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and to target the group's leader, Qasim al-Raymi.[7][13] The raid was led by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) with resources from U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as commandos from the United Arab Emirates Army.[7]
Between 10[8] and 30 civilians[9] (including Nawar al-Awlaki, the eight-year-old American daughter of the deceased al-Qaeda preacher Anwar al-Awlaki) were killed in the raid along with up to 14 al-Qaeda fighters, as well as American Navy SEAL William Owens.[14] A Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey was destroyed during the operation.[15]
The raid in Yemen was described as "risky from the start and costly in the end";[16] the "botched" operation raised questions about the choice to go forward with the raid "without sufficient intelligence, ground support or adequate backup preparations".[17]
^ abHensch, Mark (02/27/17) Yemen SEAL raid yielded no significant intel: report. The Hill.
^Fandos, Nicholas (March 2017). "With Nation Watching, Widow of Fallen SEAL Becomes a Face of Bravery". New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
^Cite error: The named reference hundreds was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"US forces in Yemen have targeted the al-Dhahab family, but who are they?" Al Arabiya. January 31, 2017.
^Roggio, Bill (February 3, 2017). "US military says AQAP leaders killed in Yemen raid - FDD's Long War Journal". FDD's Long War Journal.
^"Yemen Times [ Offline ]". www.yementimes.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
^ abcMcFadden, Cynthia; Arkin, William M.; Connor, Tracy (February 7, 2017). "The deadly Navy SEAL raid in Yemen last week had a secret target". NBC News.
^ ab"Yemeni civilians killed in first US raid under Trump: At least 10 women and children killed in operation targeting al-Qaeda in southern province of al-Bayda, medics say". www.aljazeera.com. 2017-01-30. Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
^ abOsborne, Samuel (2 March 2017). "Raid authorised by Trump that killed 31 people produced no valuable intelligence, officials say". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2020-01-21. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
^Cite error: The named reference HRWCivilians was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Wadi Yakla, Yemen Area Map". iTouchMap. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
^Schmitt, Eric; Sanger, David E. (1 February 2017). "Questions Cloud U.S. Raid on Qaeda Branch in Yemen". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
^Sanger, David E.; Schmitt, Eric (February 7, 2017). "Yemen Withdraws Permit for U.S. Antiterror Ground Missions". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
^Ackerman, Spencer; Burke, Jason; Borger, Julian (2017-02-01). "Eight-year-old American girl 'killed in Yemen raid approved by Trump'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
^Schmitt, Eric; Sanger, David E. (1 February 2017). "Raid in Yemen: Risky From the Start and Costly in the End". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 December 2017 – via NYTimes.com.
^Schmitt, Eric; Sanger, David E. (2017-02-01). "Raid in Yemen: Risky From the Start and Costly in the End". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
^MacAskill, Ewen; Ackerman, Spencer; Burke, Jason (2017-02-02). "Questions mount over botched Yemen raid approved by Trump". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
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that US forces claimed were killed. RaidonYakla "Pentagon: US forces kill seven al-Qaeda militants in Yemen raid - Dhaka Tribune". www.dhakatribune.com...
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On 30 December 2023, Houthi forces in the Gulf of Aden attacked the Maersk commercial vessel Maersk Hangzhou. Early the next day, Houthis again attacked...
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and author of The Operator. William Owens – Killed in action during the Yaklaraid in Yemen. William Payne – New Mexico state senator, deputy commander of...
Global Information
United States
United Arab Emirates
Abdul Rauf al-Dhahab †