Yemeni security officials announced a rescue operation was carried out against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP 9n Hadrawmut Province, securing the release of eight hostages.

The hostages had been taken just north of the port city of Aden and moved inland into Hadrawmut. The Yemeni government reported that a US military instructor was among the rescued hostages.

The Pentagon was quick to deny this, saying “there were no US personnel rescued,” but that they applauded the Yemeni military for the operation in general terms.

Mysteriously, the US Embassy in Sanaa refused to comment on the rescue operation at all, or on the question of if a US soldier was among the hostages recovered.