US drone kills 7 in Yemen amid Qaeda threat

Al-Qaeda in Yemen was hit by a fresh strike from a US drone yesterday which left seven militants dead, tribal sources said, a day after Washington pulled its diplomats from the country fearing an attack by the jihadists.
The early-morning strike in Yemen's southern Shabwa province destroyed two vehicles, the sources said. Those who died were all members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula(AQAP).
Wednesday's raid was the fifth of its kind since July 28, with at least 24 suspected al-Qaeda militants killed in the strikes.
Washington at the weekend closed 19 embassies and consulates in the Middle East and Africa, citing intercepted communications among militants, reportedly including an attack ordered by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
On Tuesday, the US and its allies pulled staff out of their embassies in Yemen and stepped up security at missions across the Middle East amid fears of an imminent attack.
While the closures span cities across the Arab world, the focus of concern has been Yemen, where American forces are fighting a drone war against al-Qaeda's powerful regional affiliate.
According to media reports, the trigger for the pullback came when US intelligence intercepted messages between Zawahiri and Nasir al-Wuhayshi, the leader of AQAP.
The New York Times said the electronic communications revealed Zawahiri had ordered AQAP to carry out an attack as early as last Sunday.