Yemeni military officials say an unmanned U.S. drone targeted a vehicle carrying seven al-Qaeda members south of the capital of Sanaa, killing all of them.Two officials say the drone fired a missile at the vehicle on Saturday in the town of al-Zahar south of Sanaa. It was heading to the southern province of Abyan where al-Qaeda militants and government forces are fighting. Witnesses said the vehicle turned into a charred skeleton along with its passengers.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
The Yemeni Defense Ministry says a jet targeted al-Qaeda leaders but didn't elaborate.
U.S. officials had no immediate comment, but Washington has carried out deadly airstrikes in Yemen in the past.
The drone strike comes after Al-Qaeda fighters attacked a security checkpoint in a southern Yemeni city on Saturday and killed four troops while losing eight of their own, a security official said.