Aden, May 24 (IANS) US drone strikes overnight targetted a suspected al-Qaeda hideout in Yemen’s southern province of Abyan, killing at least six people, a Yemeni military official told Xinhua news agency on Saturday.

The strikes hit the mountainous Marakisha area in eastern Abyan late Friday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. All those killed were believed to be members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Yemen-based branch of the militant network.

The operation was carried out in coordination with Yemeni government forces, the official added.

The targetted site had reportedly served as a launch point for attacks against government forces and recent bombing operations in the province, according to the source.

However, conflicting accounts have emerged. A local tribal leader confirmed two overnight drone strikes but claimed they targetted tribal elements not affiliated with the AQAP.

There has been no official statement from the AQAP regarding the incident.

Abyan has been a key battleground in Yemen’s counter-terrorism efforts since late 2022. Forces from the pro-government Southern Transitional Council, backed by government troops, have sought to root out AQAP fighters entrenched in remote areas.

Government officials say the group continues to operate active cells in the region, often targeting security personnel with improvised explosive devices.

Yemen’s long-running civil war, which began in 2014 when Houthi group seized the capital Sanaa, has allowed extremist groups like the AQAP to exploit the power vacuum. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and pushed millions to the brink of famine, according to United Nations estimates.

–IANS

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