About six al-Qaida gunmen were killed when a U.S. drone strike targeted their convoy overnight in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa, a Yemeni military official told Xinhua on Saturday.
"A U.S. unmanned aircraft fired missiles at a two-vehicle convoy of the al-Qaida gunmen in al-Saeed rugged region of Shabwa, killing about six terrorists inside the traveling cars," the local military official said on condition of anonymity.
The identities of those killed remained unclear so far, the military source added.
The drone is still hovering over the area, creating panic among the local residents, according to tribal leaders.
Dozens of al-Qaida members have been killed in such airstrikes since Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February 2012.
Critics from the U.S. government said the drone strikes often violate international law and cause heavy civilian casualties.
The al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, is considered as major threat to the Yemeni government and neighboring oil-rich Saudi Arabia.