US strike in Yemen kills five Qaeda members

WASHINGTON: Five Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) members were killed in a US air strike in Yemen last week, officials said Wednesday.



The October 21 strike occurred in a remote area of Marib Governorate in war-torn Yemen, the US military's Central Command said in a statement.

AQAP "remains a significant threat to the region and to the United States," CENTCOM spokesman Army Major Josh Jacques said.

Their "presence has a destabilizing effect on Yemen, and we are working to deny them a haven from which to plan future attacks."

The suspected AQAP members' names were not released.



AQAP and the Islamic State group have exploited a power vacuum created by a conflict between the government and Shia Huthi rebels to expand their presence in Yemen, especially in the south and southeast.

US operations against AQAP in Yemen are separate from a Saudi-led coalition campaign against the Huthis.