Drone strike kills two Qaeda suspects in Yemen

ADEN — A drone strike believed to have been carried out by the United States killed two Al-Qaeda suspects in a jihadist stronghold in southeast Yemen, military sources said Wednesday.

The unidentified suspects were traveling in a vehicle in the town of Qoton in Hadramawt province when they were targeted, the sources said.

The United States is the only country known to operate armed drones over Yemen, home to what it considers to be Al-Qaeda's most dangerous affiliate.

It has kept up strikes on militants during months of fighting between pro-government forces and Iran-backed Houthis rebels who control the capital.

Al-Qaeda has exploited the turmoil to tighten its grip on parts of southeast Yemen, seizing Mukalla, capital of Hadramawt province, in April.

The Saudi-led coalition that has been supporting pro-government forces fighting the Houthis and their allies has not targeted the militants so far.

But Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah said on Tuesday that confronting the extremists was inevitable in the future. – AFP