ADEN, Yemen, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Three suspected members of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch were killed in a U.S. drone raid in Yemen's eastern Marib province on Tuesday, a government official told Xinhua.

An American drone launched a raid and targeted a four-wheel-drive vehicle as it was passing through a sub-route of in Wadi Ubaida district of Marib province, the local government official said on condition of anonymity.

The source said that the raid killed three elements suspected of belonging to al-Qaida group and completely destroyed their vehicle at the scene.

Local media reports said "three charred bodies were found in a vehicle in Wadi Ubaida district, Marib province, after hearing a huge explosion caused by an airstrike."

The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which carries out sporadic attacks against Yemeni government forces in different areas of the country's southern and eastern regions, revealed no statement to confirm or deny the U.S. airstrike.

The AQAP network, mostly operating in eastern and southern provinces, has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against security forces in Yemen.

The U.S. military has carried out several airstrikes against AQAP fighters in different provinces of the war-torn Arab country since U.S. President Donald Trump approved expanded military operations against the group.

The AQAP, seen by the United States as the global terror network's most dangerous branch, has exploited years of deadly conflict between Yemen's government and Houthi rebels to expand its presence, especially in the southeastern provinces.