Yemeni warplanes carried out two air strikes against Al Qaeda hideouts, killing six terrorists, including three Al Qaeda commanders, in the southern province of Abyan Thursday, a military official told Xinhua.
"There were two separate air strikes launched by the air force and targeted hideouts of the Al Qaeda militants in Wadi Mahfad town in Abyan province. At least six terrorists were killed, three in each air strike," the local military official said on condition of anonymity.
A senior intelligence officer in the Wadi Mahfad town told Xinhua that most of the dead militants were local commanders of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda offshoot.
"About three Al Qaeda local leaders, who were responsible for several armed attacks and suicide bombings against the army forces in Abyan, were also among the dead elements," the officer said.
Last week, an Al Qaeda suicide car bomber stormed a military base in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, killing at least 15 soldiers and injuring dozens.
The Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) based in Yemen's southern regions repeatedly said that its attacks were in revenge for joint US-Yemeni operations including drone strikes against the group.
Drone strikes have increased since August after the US temporarily closed its embassy in Sanaa due to security threats. The Yemeni government said more than 40 suspected AQAP fighters were killed in the strikes.
