FILE IMAGE: military.com
A US Navy SEAL team conducted a raid on a compound associated with Al Qaeda in the province of Marib in central Yemen on Tuesday, killing some 7 terrorists. The operation was supported by the US Air Force.
“During this operation, US forces killed seven AQAP (Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) militants through a combination of small arms fire and precision airstrikes,” the United States Central Command said in a statement, adding that “Raids such as this provide insight into AQAP’s disposition, capabilities and intentions, which will allow us to continue to pursue, disrupt, and degrade AQAP.”
According to Reuters, the raid took place 40-45 km north of another US raid that took place in January. However, this information was not confirmed officially.
“Col. John Thomas, a Central Command spokesman, said in a telephone interview afterward that the raid was intended to seize potentially important information from the compound — typically electronic devices such as computers, hard drives and cellphones — and was not an attempt to kill or capture a particular individual,” the New York Times article on the issue reads.
The recent developments in Yemen as well as growing US military involvement in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan show that the new US administration is going to implement a strategy of direct involvement in conflicts around the world. There are little doubts that the US will be able to achieve its tactical goals with this strategy. However, it does not allow to solve a number of strategical problems that limit a success of the US actions in the conflcit zones.
