Seven suspected al-Qaeda militants have been killed in an apparent US drone strike on the Yemeni port city of Mukalla, which the jihadists overran earlier this month.
The overnight strike hit a vehicle parked near the presidential palace in Mukalla, capital of Hadramawt province.
The United States, whose intelligence agencies consider the Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to be the most dangerous branch of the jihadist network, is the only country that operates drones over the war-torn country.
On April 14, AQAP announced the death of one of its ideological leaders, Ibrahim al-Rubaish, in a similar drone strike in Hadramawt.
Al-Qaeda has exploited fighting between rebels and beleaguered government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition to consolidate its grip on the southeastern province.
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US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter has acknowledged that al-Qaeda is gaining ground but has vowed that Washington will keep up its battle against the group.
