U.S. drone strike kills 2 in central Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least two suspected militants from the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch were killed in a U.S. drone strike in the country's central province of Marib, a military official said on Monday.

An unmanned aircraft from the U.S. military fired a missile late on Sunday night and hit a house in Hosoun Al Jalal area in Marib province, which is currently controlled by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, the local military official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Xinhua.

"The strike destroyed the house belonging to a local tribal leader and killed two suspected militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch," the source said.

After the attack, members of the al-Qaida terrorist group rushed to the site of the bombing by car to collect the bodies, and then fled into a desert nearby, he added.

Many areas in Abyan province, a long-time hotbed of military clashes where al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and other extremist groups have a strong presence, have recorded a dramatic increase in the number of terrorist attacks against government forces in recent months.

Al-Qaida militants hiding in rocky terrains and mountainous areas of Abyan and other neighboring provinces, such as Shabwa, frequently use hit-and-run tactics against Yemeni government forces.

The AQAP network has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia to expand its presence in the war-ravaged Arab country. It has carried out many high-profile attacks against the security forces in the country's southern provinces.