Airstrike in Yemen kills seven

Witnesses say a Yemeni warplane has bombed a mosque in a southern town overrun by militants, killing seven people.

Fighters with suspected links to Yemen’s al-Qaeda offshoot took over Jaar in April and another nearby town a month later. The militants have taken advantage of the turmoil that grew out of massive anti-government demonstrations this year to expand their reach.

The mosque struck Monday is located in a residential area of Jaar.

On Sunday, Yemen’s Defence Ministry said 17 al-Qaeda militants were killed in airstrikes in the south.

Despite the military action, Yemen’s beleaguered government has not been able to drive the militants from the towns.