At least six suspected al-Qaeda militants have been killed in a drone strike in eastern Yemen, reports say.
The drone reportedly destroyed the car in which they were travelling in the Wadi Abida district of Maarib province.
State media and local tribal sources said they were members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
The strike comes as the Yemeni army continues a major offensive against strongholds of AQAP and its allies in two provinces in the south.
It says it has inflicted heavy losses on the militants, killing dozens of leaders – most of them foreigners – and capturing weapons.
The army regained control of several major towns in Shabwa and Abyan provinces during a similar campaign in 2012, but AQAP members were able to retreat to remote rural areas and regroup.
Since the new campaign began on 29 April, following a series of deadly drone strikes on AQAP strongholds, militants have stepped up attacks on government and security personnel.
On Sunday, a suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden car outside a police station in the southern city of Mukalla, killing 11 police officers and wounding 15 others, the interior ministry said.
wirestory
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