SANAA, Yemen — A U.S. drone strike has killed a top al-Qaida militant wanted for allegedly masterminding a 2002 attack on a French oil tanker, Yemen's military said.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement Sunday that Khaled Batis, wanted in connection with the attack on the Limburg off the coast of Yemen that killed one person, was among five militants riding a vehicle struck by a drone missile Friday in the southern city of Hadramawt.

Military officials said earlier that the drone was American.

The U.S. frequently targets militants in Yemen with drone strikes and also advises the country's ground forces, though it rarely acknowledges its role.