US drone strike in Yemen kills five

The U.S. has used drone strikes in Yemen to target its largest militant group, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The United States has stepped up the number of drone strikes in both Yemen and Pakistan in the past year.

Yemen’s President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi told The Washington Post last week that he personally approves every U.S. drone strike in Yemen. It was the first time he acknowledged a direct role in U.S. drone strikes in Yemen.

Hadi, who took office after President Ali Abdullah Saleh was pushed out amid protests, said the drones have helped reverse al Qaeda’s gains in Yemen.