About five members of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch were killed when a U.S. drone struck their car in southeastern province of Shabwa on Thursday, a security official told Xinhua.
"The U.S. drone fired two missiles on the car suspected of carrying al-Qaida gunmen on a road linking Behan and Usylan regions of Shabwa province, leaving about five terrorists killed on the spot," the local security official said on condition of anonymity.
"All the killed gunmen were elements of the al-Qaida and have masterminded and engaged in armed attacks against security forces in Shabwa," the security source said.
Eyewitness Mohamed Bassel told Xinhua by phone that "the car was completely shattered into small parts at the scene and the U.S. drone was still hovering over the region."
"Some local residents rushed to the bombing site, noticing five burned bodies of unidentified gunmen scatter there," the eyewitness said.
U.S. drone strikes against al-Qaida militants have increased in the country since Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February 2012.
However, critics from the human rights groups said the drone strikes violate international laws 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 Suadi Arabia.