Drone strike kills 4 Qaeda militants in S. Yemen

By Shukri Hussein

ADEN, Yemen (AA) - Four suspected al-Qaeda militants were reportedly killed in a drone attack in southern Yemen late Friday, according to a local security official.

“An unmanned drone struck a vehicle in Shabwah province late Friday, killing four al-Qaeda militants,” the source told Anadolu Agency, requesting anonymity due to restrictions to speaking to the media.

Al-Qaeda group has yet to confirm the fatalities.

According to the Yemeni official, a U.S. drone is behind the attack. It was not immediately possible to verify his account.

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.

On Saturday, the U.S. revealed that as many as 116 civilians have been killed in U.S. drone strikes in different countries, including Yemen, since 2009.

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

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Mohamed Sabry contributed to this report from Egypt