The Yemeni air force have bombed the home of a suspected al-Qaeda leader, a week after the military said he had died, official and tribal sources say.

The attack on the home of Ayed al-Shabwani was met with anti-aircraft fire from his village, AFP News agency reported, quoting a tribal source.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula had denied Mr Shabwani had been killed in the 15 January attack in north Yemen.

No figures on casualties have yet been released for this latest attack.

The attacks on the house and farm in Marib province were continuing into Wednesday afternoon, AFP said.

The attack is part of a continuing crackdown on al-Qaeda militants by the Sanaa government after the organisation in the country was linked to an attempted bombing of a US-bound airliner on Christmas Day.

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