'Al-Qaeda leaders' killed in US drone strike in Yemen

At least two suspected local leaders of al-Qaeda have been killed in an air raid believed to have been carried out by a US drone strike in Hadramout, East Yemen.  

Local sources told The New Arab that that the aircraft hit a car carrying Ali Rifan Al-Aobouthi al-Mihshma and Mubarak Salam al-Mihshma through al-Abr village, near the Saudi border.

US drones have repeatedly carried out airstrikes in war-torn Yemen, ostensibly targeting vehicles suspected of belonging to al-Qaeda operatives.

Meanwhile, in northern Marib, popular resistance sources reported the death of two girls in a land mine explosion. Three others were wounded as the ordinance, left after clashes with rebels, detonated.

Yemen has been at war since September 2014, when Houthi rebels and their allies overran the capital forcing the internationally recognised government to flee south.

Their advances in the Arab world's poorest country brought the Saudi-led coalition into the war in March 2015. More than 6,000 people have been killed, including 930 children.

Kuwait's Emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, was forced to personally intervene this week in Yemen's stalled peace talks, as a new fracas threatened to end negotiations.

Sabah urged both sides to continue the discussions to "reach positive results" and save the country from further war.

The Gulf leader is now taking a front seat role to rescue talks after Yemen's Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher rejected a proposal from Houthi rebels to form a unity government.

On Thursday, the sultan of Oman, who is also though to have had played a critical role in mediating with rebels, reiterated his country's support for the success of the Yemeni peace consultations.