Suspected US drone kills 3 alleged al-Qaida militants in Yemen

Yemeni security officials say a suspected U.S. drone has killed three alleged al-Qaida members in the country's volatile south.

The officials say a drone-fired missile hit a car early on Thursday in the southern city of Hadramawt, setting it on fire and killing three men who were inside it.

The strike is the third this week, following two similar hits that struck cars belonging to alleged al-Qaida figures in southern Yemen.

The Yemeni officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to talk to the media.

Washington considers al-Qaida's Yemeni branch one of the world's most dangerous terrorist groups.

The U.S uses drone strikes in Yemen to go after the group's members, while government troops are also confronting them in various parts of the country.