Al Hathla raid

Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
and the War on Terror

Date	23 May 2017
Location	Al Hathla, Ma'rib Governorate, Yemen
Result	United States victory

Belligerents

United States

al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

Commanders and leaders

Unknown

Hashim Muhsin Aydarus al-Hamid

Khalid Ali Mabkhut al-Aradah

Units involved

DEVGRU

Al-Moradi clan tribesmen Loyal to AQAP
Al-Aadhal tribe tribe tribesmen loyal to AQAP

Strength

40-60 soldiers, 1 Lockheed AC-130, three Boeing AH-64 Apache, two Military transport aircraft, 8-9 Attack helicopters

Unknown

Casualties and losses

Several wounded (according to US)

7 militants killed (acccording to US officials)
None killed (According to local and tribal sources)
2+ killed (according to a human rights organization)

5 civilians killed and 6 wounded (according to local and tribal sources and a human rights organization)
No civilians killed (according to US)

The Al Hathlka raid refers to a military operation launched by the United States military, against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula forces in Ma'rib Governorate in Yemen. The attack occurred in an Al-Qaeda compound that was used as a training facility for new combatants.

The raid took place four days after the United States Department of the Treasury designated two tribal leaders from the province as global terrorists for supporting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, named Hashim Muhsin Aydarus al-Hamid, and Khalid Ali Mabkhut al-Aradah. In the designation, Hamid was identified as “a tribal leader in Yemen” who “regularly acted as an AQAP facilitator by assisting in the provision of weapons and money for AQAP.” Aradah was described as “a tribal sheikh and senior AQAP official in Yemen who facilitates financial support to AQAP, to include support to AQAP leadership.” Aradah also “runs an AQAP camp”.

The raid started when US Navy DEVGRU special forces soldiers, airlifted by helicopter to the central province of Marib, with the support of Yemeni authorities, attacked a compound in a residential block held by al-Qaeda fighters in the village of Al-Hathla. A firefight broke out, and an Lockheed AC-130 was called in. US officials said that several US soldiers were wounded during the battle, but none killed. According to US officials, US forces killed seven AQAP militants through a combination of small arms fire and precision airstrikes.

According to reports in tribal and local Yemeni news websites and sources, at least thirty US soldiers, aided by Yemeni government soldiers, were deployed in the rural area of Al Hathla in the early hours of the day, and engaged in a gun battle with fighters from two prominent tribes in the village, Al-Moradi and Al-Aadhali. The reports said that during the ensuing fierce battle, at least seven US soldiers were killed. The reports added that no AQAP fighters had been in the area when three Boeing AH-64 Apache, and two Military transport aircraft of the US approached the village. Yemeni and U.S. officials did not confirm nor deny these reports.

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Wikipedia