Story highlights "We continue to target AQAP in Yemen," a Pentagon spokesman said

"We have not had any ground combat operations since January 28," he said

(CNN) US special operations force have stepped up ground operations inside Yemen amid growing concern that the al Qaeda affiliate there continues to actively plan attacks on western targets, including targeting commercial aviation.

The ground covert ground missions have the specific goal of secretly collecting intelligence on the al Qaeda affiliate there, including their top operatives and locations where they may be hiding.

The US has not acknowledged any specific ground operations since the Navy SEAL raid . Soon after Trump took office that became controversial after the death of a Navy SEAL and civilians.

"We have people on the ground, as you know, and as we've stated before, we have not had any ground combat operations since January 28," said Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis, which was the date of the Navy SEAL raid. But two other officials with direct knowledge of the latest intelligence say ground operations recently have taken place, even if it did not result in combat. They say ground missions are happening regularly.

When the Trump administration moved to ban electronic devices in the passenger cabins of some aircraft , one of the major reasons was growing intelligence that ISIS was testing devices that could make it pass airport screening technology as CNN exclusively reported on Friday . Other groups such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the affiliate in Yemen, were mentioned in passing. One official says AQAP remains "the most active threat" to aviation.

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