In the latest US strike on Thursday evening, a drone targeted a group of people, killing four of them in Wadi al-Jadd in the southern province of Hadramout, Yemeni security officials said on condition of anonymity.

Two separate strikes earlier in the day in Marib and Hadramout provinces also killed 10 people.

The attacks come a day after Yemeni authorities said they had foiled a major plot against oil pipelines and ports.

On Wednesday, another seven people died in a US drone attack. The number of such strikes in Yemen has been stepped up over the past month.

While the US has acknowledged targeting militants in Yemen with drones, it does not comment publicly on its policy or the raids.

The United States has stepped up its drone attacks in Yemen on pretext of fighting al-Qaeda terrorists, but there is no evidence to prove the US claim.

US drones strikes in Yemen nearly tripled in 2012 compared to 2011, from 18 to 53, according to the New America Foundation, a Washington-based think tank.

Several people have been killed by US drones, including civilians who live in restive regions in Yemen.

The administration of US President Barack Obama is using armed drones for its extensive targeted killing program in several countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

NTJ/BA