Washington (CNN) The Trump administration informed Congress that it had unsuccessfully targeted an Iranian military official in Yemen days after the attempt was carried out, apprising lawmakers of the operation in the same classified notification that was sent to Capitol Hill regarding the drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, according to several sources familiar.

News of the additional operation in Yemen, which occurred on the same day as the strike on Soleimani, first became public last week and has fueled questions about the administration's legal authority to take military action against Iran without congressional approval.

The classified War Powers notification, which was sent to Congress earlier this month, cites Article II and the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) as legal justifications but does not make an explicit connection between each individual action and a specific authority, the sources said.

The law dictates that such a notice must be sent within 48 hours of US forces entering into hostilities in accordance with the War Powers Act -- a series of procedural requirements to ensure that presidents keep Congress apprised of military decisions.

Democrats have questioned the administration's motives for keeping the notification classified, particularly as they say officials have struggled to articulate why ordering the military action without informing Congress ahead of time was lawful.

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