The United States of America carried out another operation in Yemen on the night it carried out an airstrike in Iraq to kill Qassem Soleimani, the USA Today publication has revealed on its news portal.
The Yemen operation was conducted with the aim of killing Abdul Reza Shahlai, a commander of the Quds Force but it never resulted in death as had been intended.
An official speaking on condition of anonymity made the revelation.
The Pentagon refused to confirm whether the operation had taken place, saying that operations in the region are not publicly discussed.
"We have seen the report of a January 2 airstrike in Yemen, which is long-understood as a safe space for terrorists and other adversaries to the United States," Navy Cdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in a statement as quoted by the USA Today. "The Department of Defense does not discuss alleged operations in the region," she added.
Revelations that it is not just Soleimani who was targeted is being seen as an indication of a broader campaign against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, the Washington Post reported.
The military operations of the US in Yemen, a country in a deepening economic crisis that is shrouded in secrecy.