WASHINGTON — The U.S. military conducted airstrikes in the predawn hours against suspected al-Qaida positions Thursday across three provinces in Yemen, marking the first American attacks since an ill-fated Navy SEAL raid in January.
Officials said the bombing runs against alleged al-Qaida targets in Abyan, Bayda and Shabwa provinces were planned months before the rare on-the-ground Jan. 29 raid, in which Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens and two dozen civilians were killed.
More than 20 airstrikes took place over several hours beginning at 3 a.m. local time and were coordinated with President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s fragile government, the Pentagon said.
Yemen has been locked in a civil war since 2014. The resulting chaos has allowed the militant group, known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, to flourish and amass power in the country.