Suspected US drone in Yemen kills 4 militants

Sanaa: Yemeni security officials say a suspected US drone strike killed four al Qaeda militants in the country`s south.

The officials say the attack took place around dawn today in an area called Deyfa in Abyan province. Officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to brief the media. Yemeni forces battled al Qaeda in Abyan province last year, routing out militants from major cities that al Qaeda had overrun during the country`s 2011 political turmoil. The militants fled to surrounding mountainous areas. According to several research groups and The Associated Press`s own reporting, there has been a dramatic rise in such drone strikes in Yemen since the country`s new US-backed president assumed power early last year. Washington says al Qaeda in Yemen is among the group`s most dangerous and active branches worldwide. PTI