Yemen: Airstrikes kill 12 al-Qaida suspects

SANAA, Yemen — The Yemeni Interior Ministry says government airstrikes have killed 12 suspected al-Qaida militants in the country’s south.

The statement Monday said the militants were killed in a strike this week in Abyan province that left their vehicle burned to a shell. The statement didn’t specify the day of the attack.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which is based in Yemen, is considered by the U.S. to be the most dangerous offshoot of the terror organization in the world.

Yemen’s military waged a wide offensive against the group last year, driving militants out of their strongholds in the south of the country. Since then, the group has carried retaliatory attacks, while the U.S. has launched dozens of drone strikes targeting suspected members.