Yemen voices ‘reservations’ over last week’s raid by US

SANAA, Yemen

The Yemeni government has conveyed its "reservations" to Washington over last week’s raid by U.S. army forces in Yemen’s southern Al-Bayda province, a government source told Anadolu Agency.

The source, speaking anonymously due to the subject’s sensitivity, said Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi had asked the U.S. administration for "prior consultation" with Yemeni officials before future U.S. military operations are conducted on Yemeni territory.

"Coordination with the U.S. in fighting terrorism remains ongoing," the source said. "And it is being conducted at the highest level."

"Our reservations pertain to the recent [U.S. military] operation carried out in Al-Bayda, which left a number of civilians and children dead," the source added.

The source made the assertions after The New York Times ran a report on Wednesday alleging that, following last week’s raid in Al-Bayda, Yemen had withdrawn permission from the U.S. military to conduct anti-terrorism operations on Yemeni territory.

Last Sunday, at least 40 people were reportedly killed in a raid by U.S. army personnel that targeted suspected Al-Qaeda leaders in southern Yemen.

Among the raid’s civilian casualties was the daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior Al-Qaeda leader killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011.

According to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), one U.S. serviceman died of wounds sustained during the raid while three others were injured.

The raid in Al-Bayda was the first overseas military operation ordered by newly-inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump.

Washington frequently employs unmanned aerial drones to hunt down Al-Qaeda leaders in Yemen, which since 2014 has remained in a state of war between the Shia Houthi group and the country’s Saudi-backed government.

Reporting by Zakaria al-Kamaali; Writing by Ali H. M.Abo Rezeg