A suspected U.S. drone strike has killed a senior Al-Qaeda leader in Abyan Governorate, southern Yemen.

Sputnik News, citing a local official, reported that an UAV targeted an Al-Qaeda stronghold in Wadi Al-Naseel, Mudiyah District, resulting in the deaths of Salem Qassem Al-Marqashi, a prominent field commander, and his companion. Al-Marqashi was allegedly responsible for multiple attacks against security and military forces in Abyan.

This strike followed a series of similar operations targeting Al-Qaeda leaders in southern Yemen. On February 12, a U.S. drone strike in Shabwa Governorate killed Abu Mohammed Al-Huthali Al-Makki, a Saudi national and senior Al-Qaeda figure. Earlier in February, Ayoub Al-Lahji and Abu Ali Al-Daisi were killed in separate drone strikes in Shabwa. Additionally, in January, Abu Saleh Al-Duwaili was killed in a drone strike in northwestern Shabwa.