Updated

Yemeni tribal leaders say an airstrike has killed three alleged al-Qaida militants in the country's southeast.

The tribal witnesses said they suspect the strike Tuesday was carried out by a U.S. drone. A Yemeni official said the government had not carried out any strikes in the area. Both the official and the witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The tribal witnesses said the strike hit a vehicle carrying the three militants in Hadramawt province, killing them.

The United States has regularly carried out drone strikes in Yemen, escalating the rate of attacks in the last year. Washington rarely confirms individual strikes.