In the World

YEMEN

Officials: Drone hit al-Qaeda militants

Yemen's official security committee said Friday that people targeted in an air strike in a central city were al-Qaeda militants including those who masterminded attacks on vital institutions, the police and army.

The Friday statement by the Supreme Security Committee, headed by Yemen's president, was referring to Thursday's drone strike that was believed to have targeted a convoy heading to a wedding party in the central city of Radda, killing 13 people.

It said that the air strike targeted one car belonging to al-Qaeda leaders. "Inside the car, there were members and leaders who masterminded armed forces, police, and vital institutions."

In Radda, witnesses say the families of the dead held a protest in front of city council demanding a probe and holding the government responsible. - AP

MALI

Protesters' killing

The U.N. peacekeeping chief said Friday that his department is investigating what appears to be the shooting of protesters by Malian soldiers. One of the three people wounded in the shooting died over the weekend, Herve Ladsous said. Residents of the troubled northern city of Kidal have said soldiers fired on a protest at the local airfield Nov. 28. - AP

IRAQ

Pipe workers slain

Gunmen in Iraq killed 15 Iranian pipeline workers and two Iraqi guards northeast of Baghdad on Friday, officials said. Separate attacks across the country killed 23 other people. A senior security official said the nighttime attack on the pipeline workers took place in the al-Nida area, where gunmen opened fire on the men working on the gas pipeline planned to connect Iraq's gas network to supplies from neighboring Iran. - AP