REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi
The U.S. military has reportedly carried out 20 more airstrikes in Yemen that are intended to target al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters, two American officials told Reuters on Thursday. One of the world’s most feared bomb makers, Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, works with AQAP. The group has been a known concern to U.S. officials since it allegedly targeted a Detroit-bound airplane on Christmas Day in 2009. The recent strikes are likely the first operations since a controversial January raid by U.S. commandos that killed civilians and a Navy SEAL. A U.S. aircraft was also lost in the January attack. President Trump told Congress this week that the raid had provided the U.S. with valuable intelligence, but other reports, citing top military officials, have contradicted those claims. "The strikes were conducted in partnership with the government of Yemen," US Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said in a statement.