ADEN: A drone strike has killed seven suspected members of Al Qaeda in southern Yemen, a security official said on Sunday. The United States is the only force known to operate armed drones over Yemen.

The official said an overnight drone attack, “likely American,” targeted three vehicles on the road from the southern province of Shabwa to the central province of Bayda, killing the seven suspected militants.

In the southern province of Lahj, a suspected local leader of Al Qaeda and a policeman were killed in a shootout as security forces raided the alleged militant’s home to arrest him, a security official said.

Another suspected extremist was also arrested in the raid in the Al Wahat area, Lahj security director Saleh Said said in a statement.

Washington considers the Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to be the radical group’s most dangerous branch.

A long-running drone war against AQAP has intensified since US President Donald Trump took office in January.

Al Qaeda’s extremist rivals, the Daesh group, have also carried out several deadly attacks in the country.

Last month, the United States said it had killed dozens of Daesh fighters at training camps in Bayda.

Meanwhile, a ship, carrying 5,500 tonnes of flour, docked in Hodeidah port on Sunday.

The delivery is the first aid to arrive through Hodeidah port, controlled by the Houthis, after the coalition allowed a flight carrying humanitarian aid workers to the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Saturday.