US drone kills 2 pro-govt fighters in central Yemen

By Murad Arifi

SANAA (AA) – Two pro-government fighters were reportedly killed in a suspected U.S. drone attack in central Yemen on Monday, according to a pro-government commander.

The airstrike targeted a position of pro-government forces in al-Meqhaya district in the central Al Bayda province, Mohamed al-Ghunaimi told Anadolu Agency.

There was no comment from U.S. authorities on the claim.

Al-Ghunaimi called on Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels to intervene to halt U.S. drone airstrikes in Yemen.

The U.S. has used drones to hunt down al-Qaeda leaders in Yemen, which fell into civil war since 2014 when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Houthis of serving as an Iranian proxy -- launched a massive military campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back the Houthis’ territorial gains.