(CNN) The US military carried out a series of six airstrikes in Yemen last week targeting the local al Qaeda affiliate there.

They were the first US airstrikes in Yemen since January 1, when the US conducted two strikes, including one that killed Jamal al-Badawi , an al Qaeda operative linked to the 2000 attack on the USS Cole.

Last week's airstrikes took place in Al Bayda Governate.

The US has sought to prevent al Qaeda from exploiting the chaos of Yemen's civil war to establish a safe haven, but the number of US military strikes has declined sharply over the last few years.

"In coordination with the government of Yemen, US forces continue to support ongoing counterterrorism operations against AQAP and ISIS-Y to disrupt and destroy militants' attack-plotting efforts, networks, and freedom of maneuver within the region," Lt. Col. Earl Brown, a spokesman for US Central Command, said in a statement.

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