Yemen air strikes kill al-Qaeda fighters, US says

The US military said it killed 13 members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in air strikes in Yemen.

According to a statement by the US Central Command, three air strikes were carried out between 24 August and 4 September in Shabwah governorate in central Yemen.

The statement did not give any details regarding how the strikes were carried out or the identities of those killed.

AQAP has taken advantage of Yemen's civil war to seize territory.

The US said the group remains a significant threat to the region, the United States and beyond, the BBC reported.

"Strikes against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen put consistent pressure on the terrorist network and prevent them from plotting and executing attacks against US persons, our homeland and allies," the US statement said.

Yemen is in the grip of a conflict between its Saudi-backed government and rebels that the UN says has left 6,600 people dead.

Some 2.5 million Yemenis have also been displaced.