An Al-Qaida leader was killed, two injured and nine others arrested after the security forces and tribal fighters clashed with the suspected militants in Yemen's Dhale province early on Sunday, the Defense Ministry reported.
"One of those injured died in hospital," Dhale security director, Ali Al-Amri, told the 26 September website, the ministry's mouthpiece.
The battles occurred in the Shib district between the personnel of a local checkpoint and the militants who were inside a bus, he said.
"The militants tried to infiltrate into the Awabil area in Dhale amid the continuous hunt targeting Al-Qaida members in nearby province after killing hundreds of them in Abyan in the past few months," the official said.
"The forces and pro-government fighters wanted the suspected militants to surrender, but they refused and opened fire injuring a citizen and forcing the security and others to respond," he continued, according to the website.
With direct support from the US, the Yemeni army could drive out Al-Qaida militants from Abyan province and is now continuing a hunt for them in nearby provinces killing hundreds and injuring many of them. The forces retook control of all key towns which were seized in mid-2011 and the people have started to return to some of them.
Pro-government fighters have supported the army surrounding, battling and killing many militants.