Sanaa, Sep 11 (IANS): Five members of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda branch were killed when a US drone struck their car in the southeastern province of Shabwa Thursday, a security official said.

"The US drone fired two missiles on the car suspected of carrying Al Qaeda gunmen on a road linking Behan and Usylan regions of Shabwa province, leaving about five terrorists dead on the spot," the local security official told Xinhua.

"All the killed gunmen were elements of the Al Qaeda and have masterminded and engaged in armed attacks against security forces in Shabwa," the security source said.

Eyewitness Mohamed Bassel told Xinhua by phone that "the car was completely shattered into small parts at the scene and the US drone was still hovering over the region".

"Some local residents rushed to the bombing site, noticing five burned bodies of unidentified gunmen scattered there," the eyewitness said.

US drone strikes against Al Qaeda militants have increased in the country since Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February 2012.

However, critics from the human rights groups said the drone strikes violate international laws and cause heavy civilian casualties.

The Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, is considered as a major threat to the Yemeni government and neighbouring oil-rich Saudi Arabia.