Raid on Yakla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Raid on Yakla |
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| Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) and the War on Terror |
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 Raid location
Location in Yemen
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States United Arab Emirates |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 James Mattis Raymond A. Thomas Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
 Abdul Rauf al-Dhahab † Sultan al-Dhahab † Seif al-Joufi † Abu Barazan |
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| Strength | |||||||
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Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 killed 3 wounded 1 V-22 Osprey destroyed |
14 killed (U.S. claim) | ||||||
| 10–30 civilian casualties (including 1 U.S. citizen) | |||||||
The Raid on Yakla was a military operation. It was carried out by the United States and the United Arab Emirates. This event happened on January 29, 2017. The location was a village called al-Ghayil in the Yakla area of Al Bayda Governorate, Yemen. This area was part of the ongoing Yemeni Civil War (2014–present).
US President Donald Trump approved the raid. Its main goal was to gather information on a group called al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). It also aimed to find and capture or kill their leader, Qasim al-Raymi. This operation was the first major raid approved by the Trump administration. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and the United States Special Operations Command (which manages US special forces) were involved. The CIA also played a part.
During the raid, between 10 and 30 civilians were killed. This included Nawar al-Awlaki, an eight-year-old American girl. Up to 14 al-Qaeda fighters also died. An American Navy SEAL, William Owens, was killed. A special aircraft, a Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey, was also destroyed. The raid was later described as "risky" and "costly." Questions were raised about whether it was planned with enough information or support.
Contents
What Led to the Raid
The United States has been helping a group of countries led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. This help is against Houthi fighters. The US provides weapons, information, and advice. The US also has a mission against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The last US ground operation against AQAP in Yemen was in 2014.
In 2016, US and Emirati special forces went to Yemen. Their job was to watch AQAP. The US also used drones to strike suspected AQAP members. They did eight drone strikes in Al Bayda in 2016 and one more in January 2017.
A group called the International Crisis Group reported in 2017 that AQAP was stronger than ever. They said AQAP was growing because of the civil war in Yemen. AQAP had also created a local group called Ansar Al-Sharia (AAS). This group focused on fighting within Yemen. Many AAS members were not interested in AQAP's global goals.
The main targets of the raid were members of the al-Dhahab family. This family was led by Abdelrauf al-Dhahab. His family was powerful, and he could gather a large group of fighters. Some of his family members had joined AQAP. However, it was not clear if Abdelrauf himself was part of Al Qaeda. He had said he was not and even worked with the US-backed Yemeni government against other groups.
The US military said the raid had been planned for many months. They called it one of many actions against AQAP. The previous US government, led by President Obama, had not approved this specific raid. Some sources said it was reviewed several times but not approved. However, others said this exact raid was not discussed. They stated that Obama did not want to increase US involvement in Yemen.
How the Raid Was Approved
The approval for the Yakla raid was different from past procedures. Usually, a detailed meeting would happen in the White House. This meeting would cover the plan, goals, and risks to soldiers and civilians. Lawyers would also check the operation.
Instead, this raid was approved during dinner conversations. President Trump discussed it with his son-in-law Jared Kushner, adviser Steve Bannon, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Mattis and General Joseph Dunford presented the plan. The National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, was also there. No one from the State Department was present, which was unusual. Some reports say Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner were against the mission. Flynn strongly supported it.
The decision did not go through the usual channels. This meant that leaders from all agencies involved were not fully consulted. US military officials later said the attack went forward "without enough intelligence, ground support, or proper backup."
The Raid Itself
On January 26, a team of special forces, called DEVGRU operators, moved to the USS Makin Island ship. At dawn on January 29, several dozen commandos from DEVGRU and the United Arab Emirates landed. They arrived by two MV-22 Osprey aircraft. Their target was the home of al-Qaeda leader Abdul Rauf al-Dhahab. This was in the mountainous Yakla region.
As they approached, the soldiers learned that al-Qaeda forces knew they were coming. The DEVGRU team found themselves landing on a strong al-Qaeda base. It was defended by landmines, snipers, and many armed fighters.
A villager, Sheikh Abdelilah Ahmed al-Dhahab, said his eleven-year-old son was the first to speak to the soldiers. He asked, "Who are you?" The boy was then shot and killed.
In the village, the US-UAE team fought a heavy battle with al-Qaeda forces. US helicopter gunships and fighter jets also fired on the village. An American soldier, Chief Petty Officer William Owens, was hit by gunfire and died.
During the mission's end, an MV-22B Osprey aircraft was damaged. It made a hard landing after losing power. Three other American soldiers were hurt. The damaged Osprey was then destroyed by a friendly airstrike from a Harrier jet. This was done to prevent any of its sensitive equipment from being captured. The DEVGRU soldiers successfully left the area after the raid.
The operation caused serious damage to a local clinic, a mosque, and a school in the village.
Secret Goal of the Mission
Military and intelligence officials later said the raid had a secret goal. This was to capture or kill Qasim al-Raymi. He was a US-listed terrorist and the leader of AQAP. Shortly after the raid, on February 5, 2017, al-Raymi released an audio message. In it, he made fun of President Donald Trump. He called Trump the "fool of the White House" who "got slapped." Military sources said the audio was real.
The White House and Defense Department never confirmed that the main goal was to get al-Raymi. Instead, they called the mission a "site exploitation mission." This is a term for gathering intelligence. It is not clear if al-Raymi knew about the raid, if he was not there, or if he escaped.
Officials said that the chance of killing or capturing al-Raymi made the mission seem worth the risk.
People Affected
Al-Qaeda Fighters
The raid killed three important members of Al-Qaeda: Abdulraoof al-Dhahab, Sultan al-Dhahab, and Seif al-Nims. The US military said 14 AQAP fighters were killed. A 35-year-old Saudi woman, Arwa Baghdadi, who had joined Al Qaeda, also died.
Later, on February 3, CENTCOM released videos found in the raid. They claimed that Sultan al-Dhahab and Abdulraoof al-Dhahab were long-time AQAP planners and weapons experts. CENTCOM also said that many of the 14 killed fighters were leaders in the terrorist network.
However, some articles questioned if the targets were truly part of Al Qaeda. One expert said that Abdulraoof al-Dhahab's death would create anti-US feelings. This was because he might not have been with AQAP.
Civilians
The US military first said no civilians were killed. But they later said they were checking if it happened. The Pentagon then confirmed that civilians, including women and children, were likely killed. A Yemeni official said on January 31 that at least eight women and seven children (ages 3 to 13) died.
Human Rights Watch reported on February 24 that at least 14 civilians, including nine children, were killed. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) said 25 civilians, who were not AQAP members, were killed. This included nine children under 13, with the youngest being a three-month-old baby. The BIJ listed the names and ages of the dead children. One pregnant woman was also killed.
The deaths of civilians seemed to be from gunfire from US aircraft.
- Nawar "Nora" al-Awlaki
Among those killed was an 8-year-old American girl named Nawar al-Awlaki, also known as Nora. Her grandfather said she was shot in the neck and suffered for two hours before she died. Nora was the daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki. He was an American-Yemeni who was killed by a US drone strike in 2011. Nora's older brother, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, a 16-year-old American boy, was also killed by a US drone strike in 2011.
US Military
One American commando, Chief Petty Officer William Owens, was killed during the raid. He was from DEVGRU, also known as SEAL Team Six. Three other DEVGRU soldiers were wounded.
Reactions to the Raid
Al-Qaeda's Response
AQAP later released a statement about the raid. They expressed sadness for their killed fighters. They called the raid a "massacre."
Different Opinions
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the raid was "highly successful." Retired US Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling also called it a success. An adviser to former President George W. Bush, Juan Zarate, said that even if al-Raymi was not captured, other AQAP leaders were killed. He believed Al Qaeda was disrupted.
However, journalist David E. Sanger said it was hard to call it a success. He noted that the value of the information gathered was still unknown.
Spicer claimed the raid "gathered an unbelievable amount of intelligence." He said this information would prevent attacks on America. But Pentagon officials could only point to an old bomb-making video. Multiple senior officials told NBC News that the raid gave no important information. They saw no proof that it would save lives or stop future attacks.
April Longley Alley, an expert on the Arabian Peninsula, called the raid "a good example of what not to do." She said it ignored local politics. Another expert, Richard Atwood, said such operations could make Yemeni tribesmen more extreme. He warned it could strengthen Al Qaeda and increase anti-American feelings, especially when civilians are killed.
Karen J. Greenberg, a director at Fordham University, said Nawar al-Awlaki's death would be used by Al Qaeda. She said it would seem like the US wanted to kill the whole family.
On February 28, 2017, President Trump blamed the military for the mission's problems. Later that day, during a speech, he said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called the raid "highly successful." Mattis said it gave "large amounts of vital intelligence" for future victories.
In early March 2017, US officials said they captured about 1 terabyte of information on AQAP. They were actively looking for hundreds of Al Qaeda contacts found from the raid.
Investigations and Calls for Review
As of February 27, 2017, the Yakla raid was being investigated by the Defense Department in three ways. The first was a routine review. The second was to check reports of civilian deaths. The third was to see how the MV-22 Osprey aircraft was so badly damaged.
William Owens, the father of the killed Navy SEAL, refused to meet President Donald Trump. He also criticized how the raid was handled. He asked for an investigation into its planning. Owens told the Miami Herald that his conscience would not let him talk to Trump. He questioned why such a mission happened so early in Trump's presidency. He said, "Don't hide behind my son's death to prevent an investigation."
Members of Congress also asked for a briefing from the Pentagon. They expressed concern about the "chaotic events" and questions about the mission's approval.
Human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called for a full investigation. They wanted to ensure that civilian lives were protected under the laws of war.
Yemen's Reaction
Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi, the Foreign Minister of Yemen, said that killing civilians was wrong. He said it supported terrorism. The New York Times reported that Yemen had stopped allowing US ground missions. However, the AP said Al-Mekhlafi only called for a "reassessment" of the raid. He said it was "not true" that US operations had to stop. He confirmed Yemen would continue to work with the US.
What Happened Next
According to a US military official, Navy SEALs tried another raid in Yemen in early March 2017. But they stopped the mission at the last minute.
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See also
In Spanish: Incursión de Yakla para niños
