Aden, Taiz- Yemeni security sources confirmed that five al-Qaeda members were killed on Sunday in a US drone strike in Al-Said town of Shabwa province that lies in southern Yemen.

The sources added that three civilians were also killed in a second strike after they ran to the aid of the militants present in the vehicle.

The US has intensified its attacks against al-Qaeda fighters since President Donald Trump took office in January.

The Pentagon said it had carried out more than 70 strikes against jihadist targets in Yemen since February 28.
Another five al-Qaeda members were killed in the last US attack on April 19.

Washington fears an al-Qaeda growth in the country.

Last month, the New York Times newspaper said that the Trump administration gave the Pentagon a green light to launch airstrikes and commando operations in Yemen without getting the White House’s prior approval.

Separately, the media center of the fifth military area of the Yemeni army said in a statement that coalition warplanes launched seven airstrikes on militia positions in the province of Hajjah, located near Saudi Arabia, and were able to destroy military reinforcements on their way to militias in Wadi Hiran and Mazaree al-Jir in the southern city of Midi.

In the militia stronghold of Sa’adah province, coalition warplanes attacked Houthi positions along al-Boqah road and destroyed a number of vehicles and weapons. The coalition killed more than 60 Houthis in the raid.

Also on Sunday, seven soldiers from the Yemeni National Army were killed and 15 others injured in an explosion in the temporary capital of Aden, eyewitnesses reported.

The bomb exploded accidentally when a lorry was unloading a shipment of landmines in the Jabal Hadid military camp in the center of Aden.