This undated frame grab from a 2009 video shows Saeed al-Shihri, deputy leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. (Photo: AP)
CAIRO -- An audio recording purported to be of al-Qaeda's No. 2
in Yemen has surfaced on the Internet with the militant figure denying
government reports that he was killed by a U.S. drone strike last month.
In
the message, a man claiming to be Saudi-born Saeed al-Shihri says
reports of his death were a "rumor to cover up the killing of innocent
Muslim civilians."
The authenticity of the video could not be
independently confirmed. It was produced by al-Qaeda's media arm in
Yemen, al-Malahem, and posted on militant websites late Sunday.
Yemeni
officials, speaking anonymously in line with regulations, have said
al-Shihri and six others traveling with him died in a September strike
on their vehicle. The missile was believed to have been fired by a
U.S.-operated, unmanned drone aircraft.
Associated Press