Two al-Qaida leaders dead: Yemeni forces

DUBAI / SANAA - Yemeni security sources said their forces had killed two al-Qaida leaders in the south during an offensive in the flashpoint Abyan province as it seeks to regain areas seized by Islamist militants.

Violence has gripped Yemen since February when protests erupted calling for an end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule.

With Saleh convalescing in Riyadh after a bomb blast on his palace, Abyan has seen a rising challenge from militants, prompting fears in the West and neighboring Saudi Arabia that al-Qaida's Yemen wing is exploiting the security vacuum.