Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Strike against al-Qaida Leader
Jan. 13, 2017

On Jan. 8, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike in a remote area of al Bayda Governorate, Yemen, resulting in the death of Abd al-Ghani al-Rasas, an al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorist leader. This strike removes an AQAP senior leader and facilitator in the area and will disrupt AQAP’s terrorism operations in Yemen and the region.

The United States remains committed to eradicating the threats posed by al-Qaida and denying them safe haven. This operation is an example of the U.S. Government and our allies’ commitment to the people and the government of Yemen to detect, deter, disrupt and defeat violent extremists who threaten progress in the region, as well as threaten to conduct terrorist attacks against innocent people in the region and around the world.