WASHINGTON – The U.S. launched a new wave of strikes in Yemen last night, but no U.S. ground troops were involved in combat, according to the Pentagon.

For the second night in a row, the U.S. launched a wave of airborne attacks against targets from the Al-Queda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) group.

Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters that the new wave of attacks brings the strike total in the last 48 hours to around 30. He cautioned that the number is only approximate, largely because defense officials have not settled on a single definition of what constitutes a strike – in some cases it refers to a weapons release, and in others an action against a specific target.

While Davis was reluctant to say the strikes are part of a larger operation that will continue into the future, he acknowledged they constitute a "common thought process" on the need to increase pressure on AQAP, a group he notes has "more American blood" on its hands than the Islamic State group, commonly known as ISIS or ISIL.

AQAP has been one of the strongest components of the Al-Qaeda network, according to a defense official who spoke on background. In a nod to the international reach and influence from  Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb to the Taliban and senior Al-Qaeda leadership in Pakistan, "this is an example of how integral AQAP is to Al-Qaeda overall," said the defense official. 

AQAP is "cut from the same cloth," he added, referring to the group's association to the Al-Qaeda network. 

"We strongly believe AQAP remains intent on attacking the West and specifically the United States," the defense official continued. The group consistently remains in the top three threats to the U.S. and numbers between 2,000 and 3,000 fighters, but the group continues to grow despite its low numbers, taking advantage of the chaos and lack of governance in the regions they operate. 

"Chaos is where terrorism goes to grow," the defense official quipped. 

Local reports from Yemen over the past 24 hours claimed that American ground forces were involved in at least one firefight with AQAP militants. Davis disputed those accounts, saying "there have not been any" U.S. forces in direct combat on the ground since the Jan. 29 raid that led to the death of Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens. 

However, the spokesman did acknowledge that American forces continue to come and go from the country, and despite comments from the government of Yemen following the Jan. 29 raid about denying access to U.S. ground forces, he said those forces "clearly" are there with a "welcome invitation." 

American ground forces resident in the country had no role in the last wave of airstrikes, he added. 

The overall fight to destroy AQAP will take more than military solutions, to include socioeconomic development and ensuring that the basic needs of Yemenis are met. "It takes persistent effort to degrade a group," the defense official said. 

About Aaron Mehta and

Aaron Mehta was deputy editor and senior Pentagon correspondent for Defense News, covering policy, strategy and acquisition at the highest levels of the Defense Department and its international partners.

Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran.

Share:
More In Pentagon