US drone strikes in Yemen have killed as many as 12 people.  It’s believed to be at least the seventh such attack on suspected al Qaeda targets in Yemen in recent weeks.

This uptick in drone strikes comes a day after Yemeni authorities claimed they foiled an al Qaeda plot to seize Yemen’s oil and gas production facilities, and amid fears of al Qaeda activity in the Arabian Peninsula nation.

Yemeni security forces were placed on a high state of alert earlier in the week amid fears of an al-Qaeda-linked attack that prompted Western embassies to close.

Both the US and UK withdrew diplomatic staff and urged their nationals to leave the country.  but despite the warnings of al Qaeda activity, the only attacks appear to be government clamp-downs on al Qaeda and US drone strikes.