Another disastrous airstrike in Yemen aimed at al-Qaeda accidentally killed the deputy governor of Marib province along with his bodyguards yesterday.

The deputy governor, Jaber al-Shabwani, was reportedly "on a mediation mission to persuade al-Qaeda elements to hand themselves over to the authorities". 

His tribe then responded by attacking military sites and the republican palace in Marib, and damaging other properties,according to the Yemen Observer. Some reports say his tribe also blew up an oil pipeline. 

The government has said it "regrets" Shabwani's death and President Salih has ordered an investigation.

It is unclear whether the airstrike was carried out by the US military, the Yemeni military, or both of them working together. CBS News suggests it was a covert American operation.

The problem with these airstrikes is that they are often counter-productive and just end up antagonising the local population – as has clearly happened in this case. In March, the Yemeni government was forced to formally apologise for airstrikes directed against al-Qaeda which killed at least 42 innocent civilians last December.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 26 May 2010.