U.S.-led raid kills seven suspected al-Qaida fighters in Yemen

May 23 (UPI) -- U.S. military forces killed seven suspected al-Qaida insurgents in a raid Tuesday in Yemen, U.S. Central Command announced.

The operation involved Navy SEALs and other special Operations Troops, working with soldiers of the United Arab Emirates to recover material useable for intelligence purposes in Yemen's Marib governate, an unidentified U.S. official told the Washington Post. The raid occurred about 30 miles north of the Jan. 29 attack in which one Navy SEAL and several civilians died.

No U.S. casualties were reported in Tuesday's action.

The U.S. and U.A.E. forces encountered a significant firefight when they arrived on Tuesday, the official said.

Precision airstrikes and small arms fire were involved in the success of the operation, Central Command said in a statement.

The two countries have expanded their search for al-Qaida fighters across Yemen in recent months. U.S. airstrikes have also accelerated; there have been over 80 in Yemen since President Donald Trump tok office. The change is indicative of military leaders' eagerness in defeating al-Qaida in Yemen, to focus on aiding Arab coalition troops supporting Yemen's government in the country's civil war, and the interest of the White House in delegating overseas decisions to the U.S. military and its allies, the Washington Post said.