The U.S. military says its airstrikes have killed 28 al-Qaida militants in Yemen since September.

Central Command said in a statement Thursday that the airstrikes took place between Sept. 23 and Dec. 13.

Army Maj. Josh T. Jacques, a spokesman, said the strikes "pressure the terrorist network and hinder their ability to attack the U.S. and our allies."

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, as the Yemeni affiliate is known, has been behind a number of failed attacks on the U.S. homeland and is widely seen as the most dangerous branch of the global network.

The fight against AQAP has been complicated by Yemen's civil war, which pits the government and a Saudi-led coalition against Shiite Houthi rebels and forces loyal to a former president.