ADEN, Yemen

Three suspected al-Qaeda militants have been killed in a US drone strike in central Yemen’s Marib province, according to a local official on Tuesday.

A drone struck a vehicle carrying three people near a fuel station in Wadi Ubaidah district in Marib province, the official told Anadolu on condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to speak to the media.

He said the three suspects had recently arrived in Marib. No details are yet available about their nationalities.

Local media said Hassan al-Hadrami, an al-Qaeda explosives expert, was among those killed in the attack.

There was no immediate comment from US or Yemeni authorities on the attack.

Al-Qaeda terrorist group sporadically stages deadly attacks against security and military forces in war-torn Yemen.

For years, the US carried out airstrikes against al-Qaeda elements in Yemen, some of which killed prominent leaders of the terrorist organization, while others caused civilian casualties, according to human rights reports.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat