Yemeni tribal leaders say security forces have killed two suspected al-Qaida operatives in the country's southern province of Abyan.
They say the two men were killed in a shootout with security forces in a raid of their hideout in the district of al-Wadiah.
The tribal leaders spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has long been seen by US officials as the most dangerous offshoot of the global network founded by Osama bin Laden.
Yemen is embroiled in a war between Iran-backed Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, and the internationally recognised government, which is allied with a Saudi-led military coalition since March 2015.
Al-Qaida and a local Islamic State affiliate have exploited the chaos to expand their reach in the poorest Arab country.
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