SANAA, Yemen (AP) — The U.S. Central Command says the military has conducted two counterterrorism airstrikes targeting al-Qaida's branch in southern Yemen this month, killing seven militants.

CENTCOM says in a statement Tuesday that six al-Qaida operatives were killed in an airstrike on July 16. An earlier airstrike on July 8 killed one al-Qaida operative. It didn't give details on the location of the airstrikes.

The statement adds that the airstrikes "put consistent pressure on the terrorist network," preventing it from "plotting and executing attacks against U.S. persons, our homeland and our allies."

It says Al-Qaida remains a "significant threat to the region, the United States and beyond."