SANAA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. drone strike killed at least three suspected members of al-Qaida's local branch in northeastern Yemen on Sunday, a Yemeni security official said.

The strike targeted a house in the Wadi Abida district of Marib province, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Three missiles hit the building, killing three suspected militants and wounding several others.

The official said the targets were originally from neighboring al-Bayda province. Local residents reported seeing drones circling the area since midday before the explosions leveled the house.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military or Yemen's internationally recognized government.

The U.S. has for years carried out drone strikes in Yemen targeting Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which Washington considers one of the global network's most dangerous branches.

Marib, an oil-rich and strategically vital province, has been a primary battleground in Yemen's long-running civil war. AQAP has frequently exploited the chaos of the conflict between government forces and Houthi group to maintain a presence in the region's rugged outskirts. ■