Yemen: US drone strike kills 3 al Qaeda militants
In this undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, airmen move a Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at Tallil Air Base in Iraq.
At least three suspected al Qaeda militants have been killed by a US drone strike in Yemen's southwestern al-Bayda province.
BBC News reported that the men were hit while traveling in a car in el-Manaseh village on the outskirts of Radda. Yemeni officials said one of those killed was a senior member of al Qaeda, Saleh Mohammed al-Ameri.
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A local tribesman said the car hit had been "completely obliterated" and the bodies inside were charred, BBC continued.
"Their bodies were not recognizable, but the government says they're from al Qaeda," the tribesman reportedly said.
Earlier this week, another suspected US drone strike killed two militants in Radda, according to the Associated Press. Seven others were also killed in two different strikes in the southeastern province of Hadramawt.
While the US does not usually confirm drone attacks, four in one week is unusual in Yemen. The AP reported that statistics gathered by the Long War Journal before Saturday's attacks said that the US "is known to have carried out 41 airstrikes" this year against al Qaeda in Yemen, marking an average of three to four strikes per month.
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