Public committees formed from tribesmen in the southern city of Lahj killed on Monday Bassam Al-Sayed, the most dangerous Al-Qaeda operative in Radfan of Lahj governorate.
Al-Said is pursued by Yemen's security on charges of committing murders and abductions.
Eyewitness said clashes erupted between Al-Said and his followers, and tribesmen of the public committees on Monday, pointing out that Al-Said was killed and his followers managed to escape.
Yemen's authorities arrested Al-Said in February 2010, but he could escape the prison in uncertain conditions.
Local sources said Al-Sayed engaged with Al-Qaeda and continuously moved between Radafan and Abyan after his escape, pointing out that his moves were constrained after the public committees set up checkpoints on main roads.
The sources reradiated that the public committees arrested in late March eight Al-Qaeda suspects after receiving threats of a surprise attack by Al-Qaeda militants against Lahj, pointing out that Syrian and Saudi were among the arrestees. They affirmed that tribesmen handed over the militants to security services of Lahj that in turn transferred them to Al-Anad military camp. Ansar Al-Shariah repeatedly threatened to storm Yafa'a, a distrct of Lahj, and take control on the town, local sources said.The Yemeni army made progress against Ansar Al-Shariah in Abyan and could reach to the heart of Zinjibar after air-fighters launched strikes on the town.According to Yemen's Defense Ministry, most veteran leaders of Al-Qaeda including Fahad Al-Qasa were killed and some others could escape outside the governorate of Abyan.However, Al-Qaeda killed and captured dozens of Yemeni soldiers on Monday two days after Yemen President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi vowed to defeat Al-Qaeda in Abyan, his birthplace province.