Aden, Feb 3 (IANS) Four Al Qaieda militants were killed in a US drone attack in Yemen’s southeastern province of al-Bayda Monday, a military official told Xinhua.

“Missiles fired from a US drone hit and destroyed a small pick-up truck in Maswrah district in al-Bayda province, killing four terrorists onboard,” the local military official said on condition of anonymity.

The militants, who were killed, were responsible for several direct attacks on security checkpoints in the province, the military source said, adding that they were involved in killing and injuring of dozens of security personnel over the past few months.

On Saturday, a US drone struk Al Qaeda members in a vehicle in Yemen’s southeastern province of Shabwa, leaving four militants killed.

The impoverished Arab country has seen persistent unrest since 2011 when mass protests forced former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.

President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took over power in 2012, but submitted resignation to the parliament Jan 22 amid standoff with the Houthi group.

Yemen has since been facing growing secessionism and Al Qaeda networks in the south and armed groups, including the powerful Houthi in the north.