PM refuses to comment on any further Kiwi deaths in Yemen

2011 file photo, a Predator B unmanned aircraft taxis at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. Photo / AP

Prime Minister John Key has refused to comment on whether other New Zealanders have been killed in drone strikes while facing further questions about the death reported last week.

Mr Key last week confirmed that a New Zealander who had attended a terrorist training camp and may have been a foot soldier for al-Qaeda was killed in a drone strike in November in Yemen.

This afternoon when asked if other New Zealanders had been killed in Yemen, Mr Key said: "I'm not in a position to comment on that at this point".

He said he wasn't waiting for further information with regards to any other New Zealanders but may be prepared to comment about further deaths "at a later date".

He said he did not necessarily comment on every New Zealander killed in such circumstances.

"I wouldn't necessarily have ever been public about the individual that was killed recently, not because of the way they were killed but because there's no particular reason to go through that either out of respect for the family and for a variety of other reasons."

Mr Key said the delay between the unnamed mans' death in November last year and his own confirmation last week was due to delays in having him positively identified via DNA testing, and out of respect for the man's family.

"They're obviously highly traumatised by the situation but I think they've been comfortable we've given them all the information that we have."

Asked whether he was sure the man killed had been orchestrating violence, Mr Key said: "All I can tell you is I'm comfortable the work my intelligence agency provided for me clearly indicated he had terrorist links."

Commenting on his stance on drone strikes, Mr Key said: "you're dealing often with some very dangerous situations, you're trying to deal with those situations in a way that is likely to provide the least risk to those that are tasked with breaking up terrorist groups".

"I'm not saying they're perfect. At the end of the day I have enormous sympathy for this family's loss but in the end... if people put themselves in harm's way there is a very real risk that in an environment like Yemen, they'll become a casualty and that's what happened here."