US aircraft in July conducted two more strikes in Yemen, targeting al Qaeda operatives in part of an ongoing counter terrorism focus inside the country. A July 8 strike killed one operative, and another on July 16 killed six operatives and injured one more. The strikes were conducted to “put consistent pressure on the terrorist network” and aim to prevent attacks on US personnel and allies, US Central Command said in a release. The two strikes bring the total number to 11 in 2016, according to statistics previously announced by CENTCOM. The strikes are part of a separate counterterrorism campaign targeting al Qaeda in Yemen, though the Air Force had actively supported the Saudi Arabian-led campaign targeting rebels in the country with air refueling and an air liaison team in Riyadh.
The White House announced its United States Space Priorities Framework in a document released concurrently with Vice President Kamala Harris' first National Space Council meeting. Listed among five U.S. priorities is to “defend its national security interests from the growing scope and scale of space and counterspace threats.”