US wages second day of bombings in Yemen, wounding civilians
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A man center, displays the cloths of a victim as he inspects a house destroyed by a Saudi-led airstrikes in outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 16, 2017. (AP photo)
The United States has carried out airstrikes for a second consecutive day against suspected al-Qaeda targets in Yemen, according to the US Defense Department, leaving an unknown number of civilians injured.
According to Press TV, Pentagon Spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said at a news briefing on Friday the US military conducted over 30 strikes against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula over the past two nights in Shabwah, Abyan and Bayda Provinces.
“This is part of a plan to go after this very real threat and ensure they are defeated," Davis said.
"Make no mistake, while we talk a lot about Daesh, AQAP is the organization that has more American blood on its hands. It is a deadly terrorist organization that has proven itself to be very effective in targeting and killing Americans," he added.
The AQAP has taken advantage of the chaos and breakdown of security in Yemen to tighten its grip on the southern and southeastern parts of the crisis-hit country.
Residents in a village in Shabwah Province say the American attacks targeted civilian homes and wounded an unknown number of people, including women and children.
Yemeni sources said that eight suspected al-Qaeda militants were also killed in the strikes.
The US has carried out drone strikes against alleged AQAP terrorists for years, but civilians frequently fall victim to such attacks.
The US drone strikes in Yemen are carried out alongside the Saudi military aggression against the impoverished conflict-ridden country.
The Saudi war against the Ansarullah movement in Yemen, which was on the verge of defeating AQAP in the country, distracted the Ansarullah fighters from itheir fight against AQAP and helped give rise to the terrorist group once again.
The latest American airstrikes come a month after a US raid that killed a US Navy SEAL, injured six American soldiers and led to the destruction of a $75 million military aircraft.
The attack also martyred about 30 Yemeni civilians, including 10 women and children.
ME
