The last report, on Dec. 15, 2011, made no mention of Yemen or Somalia. Instead it said that in relation to efforts against al-Qaida, the U.S. was working with partners "with a particular focus on countries within the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility," which is a broad swath of territory that includes the entire Middle East and Central Asia.

Friday's report was more explicit. It said that in Somalia the U.S. military has worked to counter the terrorist threat posed by al-Qaida and al-Qaida-associated elements of a militant group called al-Shabaab.

"In a limited number of cases, the U.S. military has taken direct action in Somalia against members of al-Qaida, including those who are also members of al-Shabaab, who are engaged in efforts to carry out terrorist attacks against the United States and our interests," it said.

It said the U.S. military also has been working closely with the Yemeni government to "operationally dismantle and ultimately eliminate" the terrorist threat posed by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP.

It called AQAP "the most active and dangerous affiliate of al-Qaida today."

"Our joint efforts have resulted in direct action against a limited number of AQAP operatives and senior leaders in that country who posed a terrorist threat to the United States and our interests," the report said.

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Robert Burns can be followed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/robertburnsAP