Yemen official says 7 suspected militants killed in airstrikes

SANAA, Yemen – A Yemeni security official says seven suspected militants have been killed in two airstrikes in the country's south.

The official says three suspected militants were killed when an airstrike hit their vehicle north of Ahwar town, in the southern Abyan province. The other airstrike hit a gathering of militants in the same region, killing four, the official says.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The U.S. considers al-Qaida's Yemeni branch to be its most dangerous. U.S. drone strikes have targeted the militants as the Yemeni government has waged repeated offensives to try to drive them out of the south, most recently this spring.