Image copyright EPA Image caption The civil war in Yemen has indirectly helped AQAP militants gain a foothold in the country At least 40 militants have been killed in a US air strike on an al-Qaeda training camp in south-eastern Yemen, local officials and medics say. Another 25 militants were wounded when the camp in Hajr, west of the port city of Mukalla, was bombed on Tuesday. The US defence department earlier said it estimated dozens of people had died. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has exploited the current conflict in Yemen to expand the territory under its control. Over the past year, the Houthi rebel movement and military units loyal to the former president have been battling a US-backed, Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally-recognised government. Almost 6,300 people, half of them civilians, have been killed in the fighting. ‘Denying AQAP safe haven’ The US has continued its campaign of drone and missile strikes against AQAP throughout the conflict, resulting in the deaths of a number of senior figures, including the group’s leader Nasser al-Wuhayshi in June and its combat operations chief Jalal Baleedi last month. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the training camp targeted on Tuesday was located in a mountainous area and was being used by more than 70 militants. “We continue to assess the results of the operation, but our initial assessment is that dozens of AQAP fighters have been removed from the battlefield,” he added. “This strike deals a blow to AQAP’s ability to use…more detail
