Sana'a (dpa) – Eleven militants affiliated with al-Qaeda were killed Tuesday in three strikes by drones in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan, local media reported. Three local al-Qaeda leaders were among those killed in the attack, al-Watan newspaper reported on its website, quoting residents. Insurgents have taken advantage of a year of political turmoil in Yemen to expand their influence in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country. Outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh has used the threat of militants to seek support from the West and extend his stay in power, despite months of protest against him. After 33 years in power, Saleh signed a Gulf Cooperation Council-brokered deal in November to step down. Presidential elections are scheduled for February 21. The parliament unanimously nominated Vice President Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi as the sole presidential candidate for the polls. Al-Qaeda's spiritual leader in Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki, was killed in September by US unmanned aircraft. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/rnvFM Tags: Airstrike, Al Qaeda Section: Latest News, Yemen