Aden (Yemen), Apr 24 (IANS): A senior commander of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch was killed in a shootout with local security forces in Yemen's southeastern province of Hadramout, a security official told Xinhua.

The gun battle took place in the Sudaf area of Hadramout on Saturday when a unit of local security forces conducted an operation on an intelligence tip-off and raided an al-Qaida hideout in the area, the local security source said on condition of anonymity.

The official confirmed that a senior commander of al-Qaida wanted by the security forces for his involvement in terror attacks in Hadramout was killed, without revealing the al-Qaida member's identity.

According to Yemeni officials, the operation has dealt a heavy setback to the terrorist group's apparent attempts to gain ground in the poor Arab country, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) network has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against the security forces in the country's southern provinces.

The AQAP has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi militia to expand its presence in the war-ravaged Arab country.