Yemen: US drone strike kills 3 suspected al-Qaida militants, security officials say

Soldados yemeníes vigilan una azotea en un tribunal durante el juicio de supuestos extremistas de al Qaida en Saná, Yemen, el lunes 21 de enero de 2013. Tres supuestos integrantes de al Qaida murieron el lunes y dos resultaron heridos por el ataque de un avión teledirigido estadounidense contra una camioneta al este de la capital, Saná, dijeron las autoridades. (AP Foto/Hani Mohammed) (The Associated Press)

A suspected al-Qaida militant, center, gestures as he attends his trial in a state security court in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. U.N. agencies and other aid organizations appealed Tuesday for $716 million in donations to help Yemen which is wracked by militant attacks and instability deal with a deepening humanitarian crisis that includes widespread malnutrition in the Arabian peninsula's poorest country. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed) (The Associated Press)

SANAA, Yemen – Yemeni security officials say an airstrike launched by a U.S. drone killed at least three suspected al-Qaida militants in a province near the Saudi border.

Tuesday's strike in the Jawf province northeast of the capital Sanaa was the fourth such attack to hit al-Qaida militants since Saturday, a higher-than-usual frequency that indicates a stepped up campaign by the Americans and their Yemeni government allies.

The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Al-Qaida in Yemen is considered among the world's most active branch of the network, having planned a series of foiled or aborted attacks on U.S. territory.

The United States rarely comments on its military role in Yemen, but has acknowledged targeting al-Qaida militants in the past.