Fox News national security reporter Catherine Herridge reported Tuesday last week's Al Qaeda propaganda video released by militants in Yemen was an intelligence "goldmine" and led to the massive drone strikes over the weekend.
According to Herridge, an unnamed Yemeni official confirmed to Fox News the video played a large role in the strikes and was a grave miscalculation by Al Qaeda operatives. Details such as license plate numbers, faces, and the terrain all enabled intelligence agencies to identify and eliminate the terrorist enclaves. Up to 65 fighters were killed in the attack.
Contrary to earlier reports, Herridge also said the attacks were not intended to kill senior Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leadership who go through "great lengths" to avoid the large terrorist training camps. Instead, the strikes were meant to break up support for AQAP and disrupt a terrorist plot against an oil facility where foreign nationals worked.
The weekend strike marks the first time U.S. trained Yemeni counterterrorism forces have conducted a raid with the support of American air strikes.