US Airstrike Kills Top Qaeda Chief in S Yemen

Local Editor

A senior al-Qaeda operative in Yemen with a $5 million US bounty on his head was killed Thursday in one of two suspected American drone strikes in the war-torn country.

Jalal Belaidi, code-named Abu Hamza, a top commander of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula [AQAP], was killed along with two guards when their vehicle was hit in the Maraqesha area of Abyan province.

A tribal source also confirmed the death of Belaidi following contact with AQAP terrorists in the area.

Meanwhile, the United States is the only country known to operate armed drones over Yemen, home to AQAP, considered by Washington as the terrorist group's most dangerous affiliate.

In parallel, the US State Department earlier offered a $5-million reward for information on Belaidi over his alleged involvement in plotting bomb attacks on Western diplomatic officials and facilities in the capital Sana'a in 2013.

Relatively, security sources reported that another overnight airstrike killed six suspected members of AQAP in nearby Shabwa province, adding that the drone targeted a vehicle in Rodhoum area, killing its six passengers.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team