Officials say a suspected U.S. drone strike has killed at least seven alleged al-Qaida militants in Yemen, a day after the U.S. State Department ordered its non-essential staff to leave the country amid concerns of a possible terrorist attack.
The drone strike early Wednesday in Shabwa province was the fifth strike in Yemen in less than two weeks. The United States has repeatedly used drone strikes in recent years to target members of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
Yemeni officials say they have intercepted threats against targets in the country's capital and other locations, and earlier this week released a list of 25 people it says were planning to carry out attacks.
The United States has shut down 19 embassies and consulates in the Middle East and Africa through Saturday, including the U.S. Embassy in Sana'a.
U.S. President Barack Obama says the threat that caused those closures is "significant enough" that the United States is "taking every precaution."