Yemen said senior al-Qaeda militants were targeted in Thursday's air strike in al-Bayda province, the first government statement on an incident which local officials said killed 15 people on their way to a wedding.

Officials said a wedding party was hit in the strike in the south of Yemen after being mistaken for an al-Qaeda convoy. The statement did not say who carried out the air attack.

The US military targets Islamist militants with drone strikes, but does not comment. A government official from al-Bayda province said there would be an investigation.