New drone strike in Yemen kills al-Qaida militants

By AHMED AL-HAJ

Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen - Yemeni security officials and tribal chiefs say that a suspected U.S. drone strike has killed several al-Qaida militants in the country's south, including a local militant commander.

The Monday morning attack targeted the rugged mountainous area of Mahfad between the provinces of Abyan and Shabwa. Tribal leaders identified the killed commander as Munnaser al-Anbouri. It was unclear how many militants died.

Both the officials and the elders spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.

It was the third day of a campaign of airstrikes against the al-Qaida branch in Yemen, considered one of the terror network's most dangerous.

There was no immediate U.S. comment on the strike.

A Yemeni security official says 10 suspected al-Qaida militants were arrested in Shabwa province late Sunday.

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