At least six Al-Qaeda militants and two field commanders were killed by US drone strike in the central Yemen province of Al Bayda early in the week.
The militants, who belonged to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), were killed drone strike on their moving vehicle near a known militant base in a mountainous area called Thee Kaleb in the Al Kuraishiya district in the north of Al Bayda.
Open sources also report that six fighters and two commanders were killed in precision drone shelling in Yemen province of Al Bayda.
Among the dead were two leaders known by the noms de guerre – Abu Mohammed Al Dahab and Abu Al Kaka according to an official in Al Bayda.
While US Central Command has not yet confirmed the strike, the US military is the only force known to operate armed drones over Yemen.
Drone attacks against AQAP intensified after US President Donald Trump took office in January last year. In 2017, a total of over 120 drone strikes against terror groups were recorded.
In its last update on November 6, CENTCOM acknowledged two strikes against AQAP in Al Bayda in September, bringing the total number of air strikes in Yemen this year to 36 at that time.
Despite a decline in counter-terrorism air strikes against AQAP, the terrorist group continue to pose a significant threat, a CENTCOM spokesman said on November 6. “We remain vigilant and will continue to work by, with and through our regional partners to disrupt, deter and destroy AQAP.”
