Sanaa, Oct 15 (IANS): Four suspected Al Qaeda fighters were killed Wednesday in a US drone strike in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa, a security official said.

"The air raid was conducted by a US drone plane which targeted a small pick-up truck in Shabwa province, killing four people inside who are suspected to be members of the Al Qaeda terrorist group," the security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Another official confirmed to Xinhua that Wednesday's attack hit a car that was travelling in Bin Aasf village in Shabwa province, where the Al Qaeda group has a strong presence.

On Tuesday, the US said it was offering rewards totalling up to $45 million for information on eight key leaders of the Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) terrorist organisation.

Yemeni military officials have blamed militants of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda offshoot for a series of assassinations and armed attacks, mostly in the country's southern regions.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which emerged in January 2009 and is also known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, is considered one of the greatest threats to the Yemeni government and neighbouring oil-rich Saudi Arabia.