Death toll in US strikes on al-Qaeda members in Yemen rises to 9

The number of al-Qaeda members killed in strikes on southern Yemen blamed on the United States has increased to nine, a Yemeni security source tells AFP.

The official in Abyan province, which borders the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government in Aden, says the strikes killed nine members of the group, including a local leader.

The security official, who earlier said the attack had taken place on Friday evening in north Khabar Al-Maraqsha, adds that the strikes hit several locations in the mountainous area known to be used by Al-Qaeda.

“I saw five charred bodies at one of the targeted sites, as well as a burned-out car,” a local tribesman tells AFP, adding others killed in the strikes were at another location.

Earlier, a second security official, who confirmed an initial toll of five al-Qaeda members killed in the attack, also said that while the names of those killed were unknown, it was believed one of the group’s local leaders was among the dead.