Yemeni tribal leaders say a suspected U.S. drone strike killed six alleged al-Qaida militants in the country�s southwest.

The tribal leaders say an unmanned aircraft targeted an al-Qaida hideout in al-Qrishia district in Bayda province on Sunday, killing two commanders and four other militants.

The tribal leaders spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for their own safety.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, as the Yemeni group is known, has long been considered the network�s most dangerous branch and has attempted to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland.

Yemen was plunged into civil war more than three years ago. Since March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition has been battling Yemen�s Shiite rebels, known as Houthis.

Al-Qaida and an Islamic State affiliate have exploited the chaos to expand their presence in Yemen.

(AP)