Civilians, Including Children 'Likely' Killed During US Raid in Yemen - CENTCOM

Civilians, including children, may have been killed on Sunday during a US raid against al-Qaeda militants in Yemen, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a press release.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In the course of the operation in Yemen, US Special Operations Forces killed 14 al-Qaeda militants, according to the White House. During the operation, terrorists killed US Navy SEAL William Owens and injured several other servicemen.

The CENTCOM's release issued Wednesday suggested that civilians may have fallen victims to fighting.

“The known possible civilian casualties appear to have been potentially caught up in aerial gunfire that was called in to assist US forces in contact against a determined enemy that included armed women firing from prepared fighting positions,” the release stated on Wednesday.

The release added that the al-Qaeda terrorist group has a history of using women and children as human shields amid its operating areas and terrorist camps.

Earlier in the day, US media reported Nawar al-Awlaki, an 8-year-old daughter of previously assassinated al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki, was killed during a US raid in Yemen on Sunday. The girl was a US citizen, according to media reports.