kylieellway/iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — A regional leader for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was killed last week in a U.S.-led airstrike, the U.S. military announced Thursday.
According to U.S. Central Command, a June 16 airstrike killed Abu Khattab al Awlaqi, the top AQAP leader in Shabwah Governorate of Yemen. The strike was aimed at disrupting terrorist compounds and attacking networks within Yemen.
Centcom says that Awlaqi was responsible for planning and conducting terrorist attacks against civilians, and had significant influence throught AQAP’s infrastructure.
The U.S. has conducted a series of counterterrorism operations in Yemen in coordination with the Yemeni government.
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