The US air force launched a new wave of air raids against targets linked to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in the Shabwa province, with no immediate reports of casualties
The US is thought to have launched at least 40 air strikes by warplanes and drones against AQAP since last week, targeting the southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa as well as Baida, slightly to the north.
More than two years of civil war between government forces and Shiite rebels who control the capital have created a power vacuum in Yemen, one which AQAP has exploited to consolidate its presence in the south and east.
Washington regards AQAP as the jihadist network’s most dangerous and says it has been plotting attacks on the West in recent months.