Thirty al-Qaeda suspects were killed in Yemen by U.S. and Yemeni forces, according to the country's officials. The Associated Press reports that the U.S. bombed multiple positions that were taken over by militants in the wake of the massive protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The strike apparently benefited the Yemeni military as well:

The airstrikes freed a Yemeni military unit besieged in southeast Abyan for several weeks by al-Qaida militants.

A medical official says four Yemeni military officers were also killed in the clashes Wednesday and Thursday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the press.

Al-Jazeera reports that the militants were killed in a drone attack. The news agency has more on Yemen's struggle to control militants in the country.

Yemen has repeatedly said its forces are making gains against groups who are suspected of ties to al Qaeda and have taken over two large cities in Abyan, a flashpoint province.

But the army has yet to regain control since the region was plunged into almost daily violence some months ago, bloodshed that has driven away some 90,000 residents.

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John Hudson