US forces conducted a counter-terrorism operation in Yemen on Tuesday and killed seven militants of al-Qaeda terrorist group, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement, Sputnik reported.
"U.S. forces conducted a counter-terrorism operation against a compound associated with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula [AQAP], May 23 (Yemen time) in Marib Governorate, Yemen… During this operation, U.S. forces killed seven AQAP militants through a combination of small arms fire and precision airstrikes," the statement said.
According to CENTCOM, the operation was carried out with the support of the Royal Government of Yemen.
"Raids such as this provide insight into AQAP's disposition, capabilities and intentions, which will allow us to continue to pursue, disrupt, and degrade AQAP," the statement said.
Yemen has been engulfed in military conflict between the government troops headed by Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi rebels, the country’s main opposition force, who are backed by army units loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The crisis has had the result of a rise in terror organizations in the country, with al-Qaeda being the most notorious.