Overnight drone strike kills 12 Qaeda militants in Yemen

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Overnight drone strike kills 12 Qaeda militants in Yemen

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The militants were travelling in two vehicles east of the city of Lawdar in Abyan province.

31 January,2012 11:10 am

At least 12 al Qaedamilitants, including one wanted by the United States, werekilled in a drone strike in southern Yemen, a tribal leader saidin what he called one of the biggest U.S. strikes against thegroup.Residents said the unidentified drone attacked the militantsovernight who were travelling in two vehicles east of the cityof Lawdar in Abyan provice, apparently after a meeting of localal Qaeda leaders.The tribal leader in the area told Reuters that at between12 and 15 people were killed in the attack, including at leastfour leaders or prominent figures in a local Yemeni branch of alQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).One of them was identified by local tribal leaders asAbdel-Munem al-Fatahani, wanted by the United Statesfor alleged links to attacks on the U.S. destroyer Cole in 2000and a French oil tanker in 2002, tribal sources said.Fatahani had survived at least two previous assassinationattempts in recent years, they said.A spokesman for al Qaeda confirmed the strike but said onlythree members were killed and two were wounded. There was noimmediate comment from Washington.Residents said no civilians were hurt in the strike.This can be considered as one of the biggest Americanstrikes because it targeted a large number of al Qaeda leadersat the same time, the tribal leader, who declined to beidentified, told Reuters by telephone.Unlike in previous attacks, this one seems to have achievedits goals and, unlike previous attacks, it did not result incivilian casualties.Some previous attacks have caused large numbers of civiliancasualties. In one of the deadliest strikes in late 2009, morethan 40 civilians, including women and children, died in an airstrike which Washington said targeted al Qaeda.