Yemen

Five killed in a Great Satan US drone attack in southern Yemen


At least five people have been killed in a US assassination drone attack in the southern Yemeni province of Bayda, military officials say.

The deaths occurred after a US drone fired missiles on a convoy of three cars in the area of Manaseh on Monday.

A local official said the target of the strike was al-Qaeda’s leader in Bayda Province, Qaed al-Dahab, and his brother, both of whom escaped unharmed.

Although some reports say that the bombardment killed Dahab’s bodyguards, the militants group Ansar al-Sharia has said in a text message that those killed include bystanders and one of its members.

The attack came a day after US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta defended the use of drones as “the most precise weapon we have” in the campaign against al-Qaeda. At least 21 people were killed in US drone attacks across the world in less than 24 hours following his remarks.

Washington has been using its assassination drones in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia and claims that it is targeting terrorists, but the attacks have mostly led to massive civilian deaths.

The UN has slammed the US drone attacks as targeted killings and says they pose a challenge to international law.

Reports say that the CIA is seeking to expand its covert drone attacks in Yemen, despite the fact that the airborne strikes mostly result in civilian casualties.

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