Drone strike kills three al-Qaeda suspects in Yemen
The strike killed a "leading figure" within al-Qaeda, an official said, without disclosing his name
Three suspected al-Qaeda members were killed in an apparent U.S. drone strike in Yemen's militants-held southeastern port city of Mukalla, a local official told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday.
The drone "fired four missiles on three al-Qaeda militants sitting near the port of Mukalla, killing them immediately" late on Tuesday, said the official.
The strike killed a "leading figure" within al-Qaeda, the official said, without disclosing his name.
Infographic: Drone strike in Yemen
Infographic: Drone strike in Yemen
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has exploited months of fighting in Yemen between Iran-backed militias and the Saudi-backed government to consolidate its grip on Hadramawt's provincial capital Mukalla -- a city of more than 200,000.
The United States considers AQAP to be the extremist group's deadliest global franchise and regularly targets its militants with armed drone strikes on Yemeni territory.
It is the only government that operates the unmanned aircraft over the impoverished country.
Also Read
-
Jail for Saudi pair involved in Yemen terrorism activities
Two Saudi men were imprisoned and banned from travel for being involved in terrorist activities in Yemen Middle East -
Yemen Houthis' ally welcomes Swiss peace talks
Sources: Saleh himself is under U.N. sanctions for his support for the rebels and did not take part in the meetings. Middle East -
Two Saudi soldiers die in cross-border attack from Yemen
The attack in the Asir border region happened at 8:40 am (0540 GMT), the coalition said in a statement Middle East -
Gulf plan key to Yemen solution
The legitimate government has confronted the problem of how to categorize the Yemeni army Middle East -
Hadi: Yemen talks to focus on Houthi retreat
Both Hadi and Saudi Arabia have insisted that any talks center on U.N. Security Council resolution 2216 Middle East
