Sanaa , Yemen ( CNN ) -- U.S. drone strikes in Yemen on Friday killed six militants , including two senior leaders of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula , four local security sources said . Qaed al-Thahab , the top AQAP leader in the country 's Baitha province and described as a `` high-profile target , '' was among those killed , the sources said . They said eight missiles were launched by two unmanned drone planes targeting vehicles . The strikes are believed to have been undertaken by the United States , which has been conducting drone strikes in the fight against terrorism . There was no immediate comment about the attack from the United States . Offensives by the nation 's army and drone attacks by the United States have reduced the terror organization 's effectiveness in recent years . Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is the al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen . The Long War Journal , a website that tracks , reports and analyzes the U.S. fight against terrorists , said the drone strike was the first in Yemen since August 10 , when the United States targeted AQAP operatives traveling in Lahj province . Drone strikes against militants in Yemen intensified a few weeks ago as the U.S. Embassy there and in other Middle Eastern and African countries closed amid terrorism fears . After the Lahj strike , a Yemeni Defense Ministry official said that 34 people had been killed in 12 drone strikes since July 28 .
Two of the six militants were senior leaders for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula . The other two are believed to be members of a group called Ansar al-Sharia, which has claimed responsibility for several attacks on U.S. and Western interests since it was formed last year. There had been a flurry of drone strikes a few weeks ago .