US drone kills 3 al-Qaeda militants in Yemen

A United States drone strike killed at least three al-Qaeda militants in Yemen on Thursday, in al-Bayda province, east of the capital Sanaa. Local sources told Arabstoday that the US strike targeted a car travelling between the villages of Khobza and Alzub, killing three al-Qaeda fighters, including a local leader of the organisation, Mokbel Alzubh. This marks the third US raid in al-Bayda province  in less than two weeks. The total number of deaths from the latest series of attacks is now 14. American raids create anger and resentment amongst locals and human rights activists, who claim drone strikes represent a clear violation of Yemeni national sovereignty. Human rights statistics have confirmed the deaths of nearly 200 people by US air raids in 2012 alone, targeting al-Qaeda elements inside the country.