A series of missiles fired from a US drone over Yemen on Wednesday, the fifth such attack in less than two weeks, is reported to have killed six people in the southern region of the country.
The bombing by the unmanned aircraft is a continuation of violence by US military forces who say they are bringing the fight to Yemen's al Qaeda franchise known as al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
According to Al-Jazeera's reporting, the latest strike brings the death total to twenty-eight since July 28.
Framed as preemptive strikes against an impending attack by most US media outlets, journalist Jeremy Scahill, who has reported extensively on Yemen and the US drone program there, took a step back and tweeted:
The US needs to take a hard look at if its own "counterterrorism" policy in Yemen actually encourages terrorism.
— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) August 6, 2013
Al-Jazeera notes that though it is one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, it is also one of the few countries where "Washington acknowledges targeting fighters with strikes by drone aircraft, although it does not comment publicly on the practice."
Tensions in Yemen have been especially high this week following warnings from the US State Department that terrorist attacks on U.S. interests, including the embassy in Yemen's capital of Sana'a, were possibly being planned by al Qaeda affiliates.
In what observers are calling "unprecedented," a manned US spy plane has also been seen hovering over the capital city, with freelance journalist Iona Craig tweeting on Wednesday:
Yes. The spy in the sky is back over Sana'a. #Yemen
— Iona Craig ايونـا (@ionacraig) August 7, 2013
@naugusta Can confirm white and four engined as yesterday. No plans to leave.
— Iona Craig ايونـا (@ionacraig) August 7, 2013
________________________________