MOSCOW, April 21 (RIA Novosti) – Three Al-Qaeda suspects have been killed in a drone attack in the south of Yemen, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported Monday.
The assassinations came as a result of a two-day air campaign, which killed 40 suspected Al-Qaeda militants.
The attack came in response to the Yemeni jihadist network announcing a fight against “Western crusaders.” Officials in the country said that 10 Al-Qaeda linked suspects were arrested following the special operation.
The US, backed by Yemen's President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, is currently the only country with drones operating in the region.
The US launched its drone campaign under George W. Bush in 2004. According to the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, up to 3,613 people, including at least 416 civilians, have been killed in drone strikes since the launch of the first operation.
In December, the United Nations passed a resolution urging the US use of drone strikes for counter-terrorism in foreign territories to comply with international law, underscoring the need for an agreement among member states on legal questions about drone operations.
