Devastation in the Yemeni town of Jaar, left behind in the wake of air strikes by U.S. pilotless drones.<br/> <br />An uptick in the strikes targeting al Qaeda cells throughout the country has aggravated discontent among Yemenis, who say the drones have already killed innocent civilians and threaten many more.<br/> <br />Mohammad Ali, a resident of Jaar, describes one of the strikes.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) JAAR RESIDENT, MOHAMMAD ALI, SAYING:<br/> <br />"The aircraft came and hit the house, and when people gathered to recover bodies, it came back and struck again, even though they were innocent."<br/> <br />Abdulelah Saleh, another town resident, said his son was killed by the same strike. Twelve other civilians died along with him.<br/> <br />Local and international human rights NGOs say the drone strikes pose both physical and psychological threats to civilians.<br/> <br />A security void in Yemen has been exploited by the regional "al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula" faction to gain a foothold and launch attacks on Arab and Western targets.<br/> <br />Shoring up stability in Yemen is a priority for the United States and its Gulf allies because of its location next to the world's top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, and to shipping lanes.<br/> <br />The Yemeni government allows the air strikes to take place.
