Gunmen of the Yemen-based al- Qaida branch on Monday executed three local residents accused of collaborating with the United States in southeastern province of Hadramout , a Yemeni military official told Xinhua.

"Suspected al-Qaida operatives kidnapped three local residents and then executed them all by firing a barrage of bullets on their heads and chests in Qattan region of Hadramout province," the local military source said.

The al-Qaida-linked account on Twitter Ansar al-Sharia News said the three men were killed because they "provided the whereabouts of the Islamic Jihadist fighters to the American enemy. "

"This was the final moment of those spies who helped the U.S. unmanned aircrafts in bombing and assassinating the commanders of the Islamic fighters in Yemen," the website added.

On March 3, the al-Qaida terrorist group killed a local resident accused of aiding U.S. drones, and crucified him on a public goal post (soccer field) in the Shehr region in Hadramout province.

The United States has recently escalated its drone strikes on suspected al-Qaida targets and pledged to continue to support the special counter terrorism efforts of the Yemeni government, aiming to uproot al-Qaida terrorist group in the impoverished Arab country.

However, critics said the drone strikes often violate the international law and cause heavy civilian casualties.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, also known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, which emerged in January 2009, is considered one of the greatest threats to the Yemeni government and neighboring oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

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