Drone Attack Kills Five Al-Qaeda Suspects In Yemen

Five suspected Al-Qaeda militants have been killed by a U.S. drone attack in Yemen, local authorities said.

The attack in the early morning on April 30 targeted a vehicle that was transporting arms in the central Marib Province, security and military officials said.

A military official told the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity that the car belonged to a known leader of Yemen's Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, (AQAP), which Washington views as the radical group's most dangerous branch.

The attack came just 24 hours after a similar strike killed three suspected AQAP operatives in southern Yemen.

AQAP has taken advantage of an ongoing civil war in Yemen to expand its presence in the impoverished country.

The United States has stepped up airstrikes against Al-Qaeda suspects in Yemen since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Based on reporting by AFP and dpa