U.S. drone strike in northern Yemen on Wednesday , killing four members of Al-Qaeda unpredictable , including an Iraq war veteran , a military official said .
The unmanned aircraft fired two rockets at a vehicle in the area Khalka Jawf province , the official said , adding that the death toll includes Juraym Ali , a local militant leader who had fought in Iraq , AFP reported .
The U.S. military operates all fly unmanned aircraft in Yemen Sana'a to support the government's efforts to crush al Qaeda , and the attacks that killed dozens of militants in the last year .
The attacks sparked criticism from human rights activists , who stated that many innocent civilians become victims .
The UN said 16 civilians were killed and at least 10 people were injured when the wedding party was subjected to two drone strikes in early December .
Victims have disalahdugakan as a member of al-Qaida , the UN said citing local officials .
Al Qaeda militants strengthen their presence in southeastern Yemen , taking advantage of the weakening of the central government due to the anti - government uprising that erupted in January 2011 that eventually oust President Ali Abdullah Saleh .
Yemeni forces launched an offensive in May 2012 repulsed the militants of Al Qaeda from a number of towns and villages in southern and eastern region for more than a year to master.
Although weakened , the terror network could still launch attacks against military and police targets .
Yemen is the ancestral homeland of the late Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and is still facing separatist violence in the north and south .
North Yemen and South Yemen formally united to form the Republic of Yemen in 1990, but many in the south , home to most of Yemen's oil , saying that the north uses unification to seize natural resources and discriminate against them .
Western countries , especially the U.S. , are increasingly concerned over the threat of extremism in Yemen , including the activities of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( AQAP ) .
The U.S. wants the new president of Yemen , ruling after protests against the country's military predecessor making split into warring groups , uniting the armed forces and use them to fight against the militant group .
Militants launched a wave of attacks since former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in February 2012 handed over power to his deputy , Abd - Rabbu Mansour Hadi , who has promised to crack down on Al Qaeda
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