2 al-Qaeda militants killed in Yemen drone attack

By Tawfiq Ali

ADEN, Yemen (AA) – Two suspected al-Qaeda militants were reportedly killed in a drone attack in southern Yemen on Sunday, according to local residents.

The unmanned drone struck a vehicle in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa late Sunday, killing the two suspected militants, a local resident told Anadolu Agency.

Yemeni authorities have yet to comment on the attack.

U.S. drones frequently attack suspected Al-Qaeda sites in Yemen.

According to rights activists, U.S. drone attacks began in Yemen in 2012 under an agreement sanctioned by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

In recent months, al-Qaeda has exploited the ongoing conflict between the central government and the Shia Houthi group to bolster its influence in southern Yemen.

In 2016, the U.S. launched nine airstrikes against al-Qaeda militants in Yemen, killing 81 militants, according to the Central Command of the U.S. Department of Defense.

The U.S. views al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula as a persistent threat to the region and its own interests.