Yemen Air Raids Kill 7 'Qaida' Members

Two air strikes that targeted two vehicles in south Yemen on Saturday killed seven suspected members of Al-Qaida and wounded two more, a local official said.

The attacks by the Yemeni air force hit the vehicles on the outskirts of the town of Mahfad in Abyan province, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said Al-Qaida-linked militants were seen evacuating the casualties and transferring them to a local medical center.

Al-Qaida militants remain active in Mahfad, close to Zinjibar and Jaar, which they ruled for a year before being driven out by a government offensive mounted in May 2012.

U.S. drones frequently conduct strikes targeting suspected militants as part of its war on the jihadist network across several countries, and in support of Yemen's war on extremists.

Al-Qaida had taken advantage of a weakening of central government control during the 2011 uprising that forced veteran strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh from power to seize large swathes of the south and east.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which is based in Yemen, is considered by Washington as the most dangerous branch of the militant network.