Drone strike kills five suspected militants in Yemen
According to officials, the strike took place in the city of Radaa on a vehicle, believed to be carrying militants.
SANAA:
Five suspected militants linked to al Qaeda were killed by a US drone attack in central Yemen on Sunday in what appeared to be stepped up strikes by unmanned aircrafts on Islamists.
According to officials, the strike took place in the city of Radaa on a vehicle which was believed to be carrying militants.
“Five were killed and eight were injured and we are still investigating who these men are and in what way they were linked to al Qaeda,” an official said.
Al Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula is based in Yemen and has mounted operations in neighbouring Saudia Arabi. It is attempting to launch attacks against the United States of America.
Washington, fearing the spread of militancy, has stepped up drone attacks this year. Atleast 14 suspected militants have been killed in air strikes apparently carried out by drones since Friday.
Earlier on Sunday, two al Qaeda linked militants and pro-government tribesmen were killed in clashes in Yemen’s restive south, according to a local official and a tribesman.
The Yemeni army helped by local tribes launched a US backed drive in May to drive Islamist militants from Ansaral-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), an offshoot of al Qaeda, out of several towns they had held for more than a year.
The two militants killed in Sunday’s violence in Abyan province were from Somalia and Pakistan, tribesman said.
Ansar al-Sharia has attracted hundreds of foreign fighters since it seized the towns in the south and declared them Islamic emirates. Some of those militants have previously fought in Afghanistan. A Defence Ministry website said that an Al Qaeda commander, Khaled Batees, was among the eight militants killed by a US drone strike in the eastern province of Harramout on Friday.
Butees had previously been captured by security forces but escaped prison last year.
Five suspected militants linked to al Qaeda were killed by a US drone attack in central Yemen on Sunday in what appeared to be stepped up strikes by unmanned aircrafts on Islamists.
According to officials, the strike took place in the city of Radaa on a vehicle which was believed to be carrying militants.
“Five were killed and eight were injured and we are still investigating who these men are and in what way they were linked to al Qaeda,” an official said.
Al Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula is based in Yemen and has mounted operations in neighbouring Saudia Arabi. It is attempting to launch attacks against the United States of America.
Washington, fearing the spread of militancy, has stepped up drone attacks this year. Atleast 14 suspected militants have been killed in air strikes apparently carried out by drones since Friday.
Earlier on Sunday, two al Qaeda linked militants and pro-government tribesmen were killed in clashes in Yemen’s restive south, according to a local official and a tribesman.
The Yemeni army helped by local tribes launched a US backed drive in May to drive Islamist militants from Ansaral-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), an offshoot of al Qaeda, out of several towns they had held for more than a year.
The two militants killed in Sunday’s violence in Abyan province were from Somalia and Pakistan, tribesman said.
Ansar al-Sharia has attracted hundreds of foreign fighters since it seized the towns in the south and declared them Islamic emirates. Some of those militants have previously fought in Afghanistan. A Defence Ministry website said that an Al Qaeda commander, Khaled Batees, was among the eight militants killed by a US drone strike in the eastern province of Harramout on Friday.
Butees had previously been captured by security forces but escaped prison last year.