- The US military is the only force known to operate armed drones over Yemen
- The Security Council said it recognized the importance of the ports of Hodeidah and Saleef
ADEN: Seven suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists were killed on Friday when a drone targeted their car in the southern Yemeni province of Shabwa, a security official said.
The car was hit as it drove along a side road in Shabwa's Bihan district, said the official, from forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's internationally recognized government.
The US military is the only force known to operate armed drones over Yemen.
The security official said the militants were members of Al-Qaeda, and said the aircraft that carried out the strike was American.
The US considers the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to be the radical group's most dangerous branch.
On Thursday, the UN Security Council said that “all parties” should work toward a political solution for Yemen, and repeated a call for the key port of Hodeidah to remain open.
The statements came after UN envoy Martin Griffiths updated the Security Council via a video link from the region.
Members “reaffirmed their unequivocal support for the efforts of the special envoy, and encouraged all parties to engage constructively with his efforts to progress a political solution,” the Security Council said in a statement.
They also “reaffirmed that a political solution remains the only way to end the conflict,” the statement added.
The Security Council said it recognized the importance of the ports of Hodeidah and Saleef, and reiterated a call for these to be kept open.