WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Friday it carried out airstrikes on Nov. 20 in Yemen’s al Bayda province that killed five militants from al Qaeda’s affiliate there, including Mujahid al-Adani, whom it described as one of the group’s leaders.

“Al-Adani maintained a significant influence within AQAP as well as close ties to other AQAP senior leaders,” the U.S. military’s Central Command said in a statement, using an acronym for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.