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Drone Attack in Yemen Kills Six Alleged Militants

by Gillian White

Another suspected U.S. drone strike killed six alleged al Qaeda members in Yemen Thursday.

According to officials in Yemen, the drone targeted a car with the suspects in Marib. The attack is part of an increased drone-driven war by the U.S. against al Qaeda's most dangerous faction. The strike is the sixth U.S. drone attack in Yemen in ten days.

On Tuesday, a suspected U.S. drone was responsible for the death of four other alleged al Qaeda members. Reportedly, 29 suspected members of the militant organization have been killed due to the increased drone activity.

Yemen has become a hot bed of activity following the intercept of communications between al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri and Nasser al-Wahishi, the head of the organizations Yemen outfit. The messages were related to plans for a major attack on Westerners and prompted the closings of embassies, issuance of a Middle East travel alert, and the evacuation of U.S. and British citizens from Yemen.

Yemeni officials are also on the case. They claim to have foiled a terrorist plot that would have included attacks on Yemen's major oil pipelines and the seizure of two of the country's biggest ports. The country has also stepped up security, adding military checkpoints and beefing forces around important institutions in the country's capital, Sanaa.