Two Killed in American Drone Strike on al-Qaeda Suspects in Yemen
A U.S. military airstrike hit the Markhah Sufla district in Yemen’s Shabwah province, resulting in the death and injury of two alleged al-Qaeda members—Mohammed Khamis bin Arfaj and Saqr al-Humaikani—along with several of their family members.
Bin Arfaj’s father was a senior al-Qaeda figure in Yemen who was killed in a previous U.S. operation. The affiliation of the two individuals with al-Qaeda has not yet been officially confirmed by the group’s media outlets.
According to Western media data, the U.S. military has carried out over 380 counterterrorism air operations targeting al-Qaeda in Yemen over the past two decades.
It’s worth noting that the Southern Transitional Council and several Yemeni media sources claim that Saudi Arabia is a key supporter of al-Qaeda in Yemen, allegedly aiming to weaken southern factions and prevent their influence from expanding into central regions of the country.
Comment