Aden (Yemen), Nov 9 (IANS): Seven members of a Yemen-based Al Qaeda offshoot were killed in an air strike Friday, a government official said.

They were killed when a military warplane bombed their convoy in the southern province of Abyan in the evening, reported Xinhua citing the official who sought anonymity.

"Three rockets bombed a pick-up truck carrying Al Qaeda militants in a valley in Abyan's town of Mahfad. The strike completely destroyed the vehicle along with the people onboard," he said. "Initial reports show that seven terrorists were killed."

"The air strike was carried out by a US drone. The bombing was so powerful that several people were killed and injured," said a local tribal chief.

The Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), waging an insurgency for over three years in the country, did not comment immediately.

Drone strikes have increased since August after the US temporarily closed its embassy in capital Sana'a due to security threats.