Sanaa, Dec 11 (IANS/EFE): Al Qaeda militants Thursday launched an attack on the al-Anad military airbase being used by US troops in southern Yemen, in a bid to avenge the jihadis who died last week in American hostage rescue missions.

Al Qaeda posted a claim on its Twitter account that it had fired six Grad missiles into part of the airbase, located 37 miles from the seaport of Aden.

The number of US or Yemeni casualties was not immediately available.

The US forces use the airbase of al-Anad for training Yemeni troops but Al Qaeda charges that the complex is being used as a base for launching drones at its members in the southern and eastern regions of the country.

At least 16 alleged terrorists were killed last week in two operations carried out jointly by the US and Yemeni forces to free hostages in Hadhramaut and Shabwa provinces.

The first operation resulted in the release of eight hostages, but the extremists murdered US photojournalist Luke Somers and South African teacher Pierre Korkie in the second similar attempt last Friday in Shabwa.