US drone kills three suspected militants in Yemen

A US drone strike killed three suspected Al Qaeda men in Yemen's Marib province Saturday, security officials here said.

The strike targeted a house in Wadi Abida area in the province, killing three men and injuring two women, Xinhua quoted the officials as saying.

US drone strikes against Al Qaeda militants have increased in Yemen since Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February 2012.

However, critics from human rights groups said the drone strikes violate international law and cause heavy civilian casualties.

The Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, is considered a major threat to the Yemeni government and neighbouring oil-rich Saudi Arabia.