The U.S. military operation carried out on Sunday in Yakla district in the southern province of al-Bayda, Yemen, has stirred Yemeni politicians and people as well as human rights groups due to the murder of several civilians in the operation.
The US has carried out a commando raid on an al-Qaeda stronghold in central Yemen, killing 14 militants, while one US soldier died and three were injured, the military says.
Several Apache helicopters were reported to have taken part in the operation in al-Baida province.

Three Yemeni tribal elders were killed in the offense, including Sheikh Abdulraouf al-Zahab, Sheikh Sultan al-Zahab and Sheikh Saif al-Nems al-Goufi who were supportive for al-Qaeda in Yemen. 

Earlier reports suggested a higher death toll. US drones have carried out periodic attacks on al-Qaeda in Yemen.

Since the country has been plagued by clashes between forces loyal to the internationally recognized Yemeni president backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and Shia Houthi rebels, Al-Qaeda took advantage of the chaos caused by the conflict to entrench its presence in the south and south-east.

It was the first counter-terrorism operation authorized by President Trump since he took office, and the commando was the first United States service member to die in the years-long shadow war against Al Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate.
A United States military aircraft helping with the operation experienced a “hard landing” near the site of the raid, resulting in injuries to two other service members, military officials said. That aircraft, identified by a senior American official as an Osprey that was evacuating the troops wounded in the firefight, was unable to fly after the landing and was deliberately destroyed by American airstrikes. The wounded troops and the Osprey’s crew were lifted to safety by another American aircraft.
The military’s Joint Special Operations Command had been planning the mission for months, according to three senior American officials. Obama administration aides had deliberated extensively over the proposed operation, weighing the value of any information that might be recovered against the risk to the Special Operations forces plunging into hostile territory. But administration officials ultimately opted to hand the decision on the mission to their successors.
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As helicopter gunships and armed Reaper drones provided cover, the commandos carried out the attack against the home of the Qaeda leader in the rugged mountainous region of Bayda Province, a part of Yemen that has been a focal point of United States military operations over the past month. The main target was computer materials inside the house that could contain clues about future terrorist plots.
At least 10 Yemeni women and children have been killed, including Nawar, daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American and Yemeni Imam and Islamic lecturer, who were accused of affiliating to al-Qaeda.