Army frees eight hostages from al-Qaida hideout in Yemen

The Yemeni army freed eight hostages Tuesday in a raid on an al-Qaida militant hideout, the Supreme Security Committee said.

The committee, the highest security body in the country, said that the raid took place in Hadramawt province. The hostages included six Yemenis, one Saudi and one Ethiopian national.

The committee made no mention of an earlier account by a security official saying that the raid took place near a major air base called al-Annad, where American anti-terrorism experts help Yemen battle the country's local al-Qaida branch through drone strikes and logistical support.

The committee added that soldiers killed seven suspected militants from al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in the attack. The U.S. considers that al-Qaida branch to be the world's most dangerous as it has been linked to several failed attacks on the U.S. homeland.