WASHINGTON: A US airstrike has killed at Vleast 40 militants in an al-Qaeda training camp in Yemen, a major blow to the terrorist outfit’s ability to use the country as a base for attacks.
“Early this morning the US military conducted an airstrike against an al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) training camp in Yemen,” the Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said.
The camp was located in the mountains, and was being used by more than 70 AQAP terrorists, he said, adding that the Pentagon continues to assess the results of the operation.
The airstrike in Hajr in the vast southeastern province of Hadramawt killed at least 40 militants and wounded 25 more, media reports said.
“But our initial assessment is that dozens of AQAP fighters have been removed from the battlefield,” he said.
“This strike deals a blow to AQAP’s ability to use Yemen as a base for attacks that threaten US persons, and it demonstrates our commitment to defeating al-Qaeda and denying it safe haven,” Cook said.
PTI