Yemen: CIA drone strike sends 15 jihadists to the big mosque in the sky

(AFP) A drone strike has killed 15 Al Qaeda suspects and three civilians in Yemen's central Baida province, a stronghold of the extremist group, a local security official says.

The jihadists were travelling in a vehicle towards the southern Shabwa province, witnesses said.

The three civilians were passing by in another car.

The United States is the only country that operates drones in Yemen, but officials rarely discuss the covert program.

Last month, Yemen's president Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi defended the use of drones against Al Qaeda in his country, which has killed dozens of militants in an intensified campaign over the past year.

Drone strikes "have greatly helped in limiting Al Qaeda activities, despite some mistakes which we are sorry about," Mr Hadi said.

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