Sanaa, Dec 6 (IANS): Conflicting reports came out about the fate of American photojournalist Luke Somers, who had been kidnapped by the Al Qaeda in Yemen.

Yemeni officials said that the journalist was rescued after a joint US-Yemen air operation, but they were not certain if he was dead or alive, Al Jazeera reported.

Another media report quoted Somers' sister saying that he had been killed.

The US State Department in a statement said it was "aware of conflicting reports but cannot comment at this time. We expect the radical group to be releasing a statement in the next few hours".

Somers was abducted from the streets of Yemeni capital Sanaa last year.

Somers pleaded for help in a video posted Thursday on the Twitter account of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

"An American hostage who had been held captive by the Al Qaeda was freed in a successful military operation in Wadi Abdan region in the Shabwa province, in which 10 militants were also killed," a Yemeni defence ministry statement issued earlier said.