Suspected US airstrike kills 3 al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen

Yemeni tribal and security officials say a missile fired by a suspected US drone has killed three al-Qaeda militants who were driving in a vehicle in the country's south.

They say the operatives were killed when an unmanned aircraft targeted their vehicle late Monday in the province of Shabwa.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to the press.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the Yemen affiliate is known, has long been considered the global network's most dangerous branch, and has been implicated in a number of attempted attacks on the US homeland.

Yemen was plunged into civil war more than three years ago. Al-Qaeda and an Islamic State affiliate have exploited the chaos to expand their presence.