The US launched a pair of drone strikes against al Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula today in a remote area in central Yemen, according to
reports. The strikes are the first recorded in the country since the
end of January.
The remotely piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers attacked two separate targets in the Oussab al Ali area, which
was described by The Associated Press as a mountainous region "located in the middle of three provinces of central Damar, southern Ibb and eastern Hodeida."
The first strike killed four AQAP fighters as they were driving a vehicle in the area, Yemeni intelligence officials told
AP.
The second strike killed Hamed Radman, who was described as an
"influential al Qaeda member" who "played a role in recruitment." A
Yemeni witness in the area said that US drones were deployed over the
village where Radman was killed for three days before striking.