Yemeni authorities say security forces have killed a senior al-Qaida leader involved in a suicide bomb attack on Spanish tourists last month.
Authorities say Yemeni troops killed Qassem al-Raimi and three other suspected terrorists during a raid near the central town of Marib early Wednesday. A Yemeni soldier also was killed in the operation.
Officials say Raimi was one of the masterminds of a July 2 suicide bombing that killed eight Spanish tourists and two Yemeni drivers in Marib. He escaped from prison in 2006.
The U.S. embassy in Sanaa issued an advisory this week saying Yemen is experiencing terrorist actions "previously unseen" in the country. It said al-Qaida maintains an active presence in Yemen and may continue to target Western interests.
Authorities say the suicide bomber who carried out the Marib attack was a Yemeni national who drove a car packed with explosives into a convoy of Spanish tourists visiting an ancient temple.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
