Aden: A strike by an unmanned drone killed five suspected members of Al Qaeda in eastern Yemen on Wednesday, a security official said.
"Five Al Qaeda members were killed in the raid" that targeted a house in the village of Al-Ain in Hadramawt province, the official said, requesting anonymity.
He said two middle-ranking members of the local branch of Al Qaeda were among the dead.
The United States is the only country that has drones in the region and in recent months has been carrying out strikes on Al-Qaeda targets in the south and east of the country and in the Arabian peninsula.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has taken advantage of the weakness of the central government during a year of protests against ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh to expand its presence in the impoverished country.
Al-Qaeda loyalists have carried out a spate of deadly attacks against Yemeni security forces and their militia allies since Saleh's successor President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi came to power, pledging to crush the militants.
In an all-out offensive launched in May, the army retook a string of towns in Abyan province in the south.
"Five Al Qaeda members were killed in the raid" that targeted a house in the village of Al-Ain in Hadramawt province, the official said, requesting anonymity.
He said two middle-ranking members of the local branch of Al Qaeda were among the dead.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has taken advantage of the weakness of the central government during a year of protests against ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh to expand its presence in the impoverished country.
Advertisement
In an all-out offensive launched in May, the army retook a string of towns in Abyan province in the south.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Hezbollah, Hamas Say Fired Rockets, Explosive-Laden Drones At Israel Trump Rally Shooter Flew Drone Over Event Site Hours Before Attack: Report Watch: Drone Whizzes Across Skyline In Israel, Hits Building Near US Embassy At Olympics Opening Ceremony, Drag Parody Of 'The Last Supper' Draws Flak Centre Fact-Checks Mamata Banerjee's Mic-Off Claim, She Hits Back Boyfriend Stabs 20-Year-Old To Death Near Mumbai, Dumps Body In Bushes: Cops 5 Children Among 8 Killed After Car Falls Into Gorge In J&K's Anantnag Rape accused, Missing For 5 Months, Arrested In J&K's Ramban: Police "Goa Would Have Collapsed Had The Congress Rule Continued": Kiren Rijiju Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.