The airstrike Wednesday
is one of a series of attacks on al Qaeda hideouts expected in Abyan
province in the next two weeks, the officials said. They will target
Jaar, Lowder and Zinjibar districts.
At least two U.S. drone
strikes are conducted daily since mid-April in southern regions
controlled by al Qaeda fighters, said a Yemeni presidential aide who
asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.
"This is part of the
strategy to uproot al Qaeda from areas they control," the aide said. "
The Yemeni government is giving the green light for the attacks and
targets are chosen carefully."
The airstrike is the latest in a series of attacks this week.
Seven militants were killed in Zinjibar and Lowder districts Monday, two security officials said.
Hundreds of government-supported citizen fighters arrested three al Qaeda fighters in neighboring Lahj province on Sunday.
Three citizen fighters were killed when militants ambushed a checkpoint at an entrance to Lauder district, residents said.
Additional forces were
deployed near embassies this week amid fears that al Qaeda is planning
an attack in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, the interior ministry said .
The ministry said new checkpoints were set up on major roads in Sanaa.
Despite the intensified
attacks, Ansar al-Sharia, an al Qaeda-affiliated group, says it controls
most strategic areas in the southern province. Earlier this week, Ansar
al-Sharia released 73 soldiers it was holding captive.
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