| Al-Majalah camp attack | |
| Partof: | the al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen |
| Type: | Airstrike |
| Location: | Al-Maʽjalah, Abyan Governorate, Yemen |
| Coordinates: | 13.972°N 46.462°W |
| Map Type: | Yemen |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Map Label: | al-Majalah |
| Target: | AQAP (U.S. claim) |
| Executed By: |  Joint Special Operations Command |
| Fatalities: | 55 (including 14 women and 21 children) |
The al-Majalah camp attack also referred to as the al-Majalah massacre[1] occurred on December 17, 2009 when the United States military launched Tomahawk cruise missiles from a ship off the Yemeni coast on a Bedouin camp in the southern village of Al-Maʽjalah in Yemen, killing 14 alleged Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters and 41 civilians,[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] including 14 women and 23 children.
The al-Majalah camp attack took place on December 17, 2009, when the United States launched cruise missiles at the site.[7] [8] Initially, both the U.S. and Yemeni governments denied U.S. involvement in the strikes, despite accusations from Amnesty International.[9] [10] Several months after the attack in Al Majalah, Amnesty International released photos showing an American cluster bomb and a propulsion unit from a Tomahawk cruise missile. A subsequent inquiry by the Yemeni parliament found that 14 Al Qaeda fighters had been killed, along with 41 civilians, including 23 children.[2]
A primary target in the attacks was Qasim al-Raymi, an al-Qaeda leader who is suspected of, or has taken credit for, several attacks that killed many civilians and has threatened more attacks on the United States. Al-Raymi was believed to be behind the 2007 Marib suicide car bombing, which killed seven Spanish tourists and two Yemenis. However, al-Raymi survived the attack.[11]