The U.S. military says it killed eight members of the terrorist group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in two separate air strikes this month in Yemen.
A statement from the U.S. Central Command says the strikes occurred on Oct. 6 and Oct. 18, and were both in a remote area of the Shabwah Governorate.
The first strike killed two AQAP terrorists, the second killed six, according to the statement.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is not allied with the Houthi rebels suspected of targeting U.S. ships in the Red Sea this month. In fact, the two rival groups often clash.
The U.S. is not taking part in strikes by the Saudi-led Arab coalition against the Houthis, but it has been conducting its own unilateral counterterrorism campaign against AQAP for several years.
The U.S. military did not identify the type of aircraft that carried out the strikes, but the missions have typically been carried out by armed drones.
“Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula remains a significant threat to the region and to the United States,” said spokesman Maj. Josh Jacques, in a U.S. Central Command statement.
“Al Qaeda’s presence has a destabilizing effect on Yemen, and we are working to deny them a haven from which to plan future attacks.”
