US drone strikes kill seven militants in Southern Yemen

The attack followed a tip-off of imminent Al Qaeda assault at town of Jaar, a one-time Al Qaeda stronghold, security officials said.

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SANAA // Suspected US drone strikes killed at least seven militants in Southern Yemen yesterday.

At least three strikes targeted a gathering of militants at a farm outside the town of Jaar, a one-time Al Qaeda stronghold, according to security officials. They added that the attacks followed tips of an imminent Al Qaeda attack on the town. Residents of the area who came to the site said they saw vehicles burning and the sky filled with a thick black smoke.

Government forces deployed to the area and the number of the dead could accelerate since body parts were found but not counted, the officials said. The strikes come one day after Yemen's defence minister, Gen Mohammed Nasser Ahmed, visited Jaar and vowed to hunt down Al Qaeda militants in their hideouts.