WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2016 — The U.S. military conducted two additional counterterrorism strikes in July against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula near central Yemen, U.S. Central Command officials announced today.

“A July 8 strike killed one al-Qaida operative and a July 16 strike killed six al-Qaida operatives and injured one,” Defense Press Operations Director Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told Pentagon reporters this morning.

Strikes in Yemen against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula put consistent pressure on the terrorist network and prevent the enemy from plotting and executing attacks against Americans, the U.S. homeland and U.S. allies, Centcom officials said in a statement announcing the strikes.

“[Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] remains a significant threat to the region and the United States,” Davis said.

“It is using the unrest in Yemen to provide a haven from which to plan future attacks against the U.S. and its interests. We will continue to degrade, disrupt and defeat al-Qaida and its remnants around the world, as in Yemen. We remain committed to defeating AQAP and denying it safe haven regardless of its location.” 

Davis noted the strikes on Yemen are U.S.-only airstrikes and are not directly in support of the other coalition operations occurring there. 

Centcom officials said the airstrikes conducted in Yemen continue to diminish AQAP’s presence in the region.