Sanna, September 26 (RHC)-- At least four people have been killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen, the country’s security officials say. According to the officials, the attack targeted a vehicle on the outskirts of Ataq city in the province of Shabwa, leaving all four passengers dead.

The U.S. administration claims that its unmanned aircraft attacks target al-Qaeda militants, but local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the non-UN-sanctioned airstrikes.

Last October, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said U.S. killer drone strikes in Yemen had led to the death of many civilians over the past years in a blatant violation of international law.

In February, the rights group called on Washington to investigate a fatal drone strike on a wedding ceremony in Yemen in December. HRW said in a report, dubbed “A Wedding That Became a Funeral: US Drone Attack on Marriage Procession in Yemen,” that the December 12, 2013 attack killed a dozen men and wounded at least 15 others, including the bride.