The Abyan Coast (courtesy Creative Commons)

The bombed cities were seized by al Qaeda Wednesday and Thursday during mass protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh. During the seize, four Yemeni military officials were killed, Al Jazeera reports.

In addition to killing al Qaeda suspects, the airstrike freed a Yemeni Army unit that fought militants in the southeast Abyan province, the Washington Post reports.

The Yemeni army has not gained back control of the region, which has had a high rate of violence for months. The bloodshed has already driven 90,000 residents away.

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia fear that the chaos in Yemen is giving al Qaeda more room to operate, according to Al Jazeera.

Reach Hannah Madans here.